Oath of Khurain
by KingofBlacks
Summary: Mithra recently got his attorney's badge, and is now ready to fight for the truth under Justice and Co. Law Office. Watch as he fights through every trial and uncover the truth behind every cases. Maybe, he will have a partner to accompany him along the journey. OCx?, nah just kidding its OCxRayfa
1. Turnabout Apprentice

**Author's Note: Sup everyone! King of Blacks here, back with not a RWBY fanfic, but an AA fic. I know, sorry 'bout that but I need to get this one out of my head first before I can continue my other fic. It's just that my idea for the Chapter 10 for Our Purpose got buried by this one so I can't really get it done right now, but don't worry! Once I'm done with this chapter, I should be starting back on that one, so that's cool. And shout out to Thepudz, Yanmegaman and Jordan Phoenix for being my inspiration in starting this fic. All your works are the absolute best!**

 **Well, with that all done and everything, let's start off Chapter 1 of Oath of Khurain.**

 **Disclaimer: The Ace Attorney series are properties of Capcom and all, so don't even bother asking me about it. I do own the OCs though, so that's cool.**

* * *

Oath of Khurain

Chapter 1: Turnabout Apprentice

 _(Apollo 1st POV)_

 _24 August 2028, 9.48pm_

 _Justice's Law Office_

"Wow. Now I know how Mr. Wright feels." I sighed in frustration. Three months after starting my own law office and my desk is still full of reports and requests to be done. I guess being the only defense attorney on Khurain is more troublesome than I'd have guessed. Still, at least some other lawyers have started coming out of their hiding. Guess it won't be long before things return to normal.

It's almost closing time and I'm still stuck here with my paper work. Sigh, I wish someone could help me around here.

"Hey, AJ! Someone wants to meet ya over here!" I heard Datz shout from the lobby. Who could possibly come around this time? Curious and admittedly tired of my paperwork, I decided to indulge Datz and exited my office. Once at the lobby, I saw two people. Datz, with his trademark goofy expression and military suit, and the other one...a kid?

Well, the boy in front of me is more like a teenager, probably around a little bit younger than Trucy (God, I miss her). His clothes weren't exactly anything special, with a black T-shirt and brown pants which looked kinda worse for wear. His black hair is long and unruly, and his silver eyes looked nervous as he twiddled his thumbs around.

"I'm sorry, but we're about to close now. You can come back tomorrow." I said politely.

The boy blinked for a moment before waving his arms flustered. "N-no, no, no. That's not why I'm here."

"Wait, you're not here to request for a defense?" I asked in surprise. Why else would someone even come here, especially this late?

"No, I'm not..." the boy mumbled out. I stared at him intently as he took a deep breath. "Mr. Justice, I'm here to...I'm here to..." The boy struggled to speak before he gave a deep bow and said loudly, "...Please take me as your apprentice, sir!"

I stood there, in shock after his outburst. Looks like my wish was granted sooner than I expected. I must have been quiet for a while, because the boy slumped down and turned away, probably taking my silence for a no.

"Wait!" I cried out. The boy looked back, and I cleared my throat before continuing. "You know, this office has gotten quite busy. I really don't think I could do all of this alone." The boy immediately perked up and I gave him a smile. "Just so you know, I'm probably not the best teacher you're gonna find around here, but I'll try my best. So, you prepared to be a part of Justice's Law Office?"

"Yes, sir. You won't regret your decision!" He replied immediately. He really looks excited about this, just like someone I know.

"Well, looks like this office's gonna get a little bit more livelier eh, AJ?" Datz asked jovially. I couldn't help but agree with him. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

The boy blinked for a moment, before realising that he hasn't introduced himself. "Oh, sorry about that. My name's Mithra Ritabrata, but just call me Mithra."

* * *

 ** _Three years later..._**

 _(Mithra 1st POV)_

 _14 December 2031, 7.30 am_

 _Accused Lobby, High Court of Khurain_

Just relax. Calm down. This is just your first tri- nope. I can't do this. This is too much. What was Mr. Justice thinking making me take this case? I'm probably gonna mess up and get my client killed or some-

"Nervous, Mithra?" A voice called out. I quickly turned to see Mr. Justice with his trademark hairstyle.

"W-what?! O-of course not! I-I'm f-fine! S-see?" I tried putting up a grin unconvincingly, but my boss wasn't fooled.

"It's okay, Mithra. I was just like you when I got my first case." He said reassuringly.

"Y-yeah, it was when you defended your mentor, right? The infamous Phoenix Wright?" I asked, even though he told me about it like a thousand times. It just sounds awesome every time he told me about it.

"Well, he wasn't exactly my mentor that time, but you could say that." He said thoughtfully but quickly changed the subject. "But I think you should worry about your client now."

And there goes my relaxed state. I turn to my client, who was sitting on the couch nervously while fiddling his guitar. He was wearing a purple leather jacket and skintight jeans. His blond spiky hair and blue eyes seemed dull with depression, which I can understand considering his situation right now.

"Mr. Reist. H-how are you doing right now?" I asked, putting up a brave face for my client.

Mr. Reist yelped in surprise before realising our presence. "Oh, Mr. Ritabrata!" He went and hugged my legs tightly, which made me flinch a little. "Please, you have to help me! I didn't kill my dear Gita!" The man begged. He really looked like a lost puppy and I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"O-of course! That's why I'm here. To prove you innocent." I reassured him, although he still looked nervous.

"Don't worry, Mr. Reist." Mr. Justice interjected. "Mithra might be young but I wouldn't have handed this case to him if he wasn't ready."

Hearing him say it made me feel a lot better, honestly. If my boss had that much faith in me, then I shouldn't disappoint him. After all, I know my client's innocent.

Just then, the door opened and a bailiff approached us.

"Defense, the trial will start shortly. Please proceed to the Hall of Justice immediately." He said. Well, looks like this is it. It's time for me to prove my worth as a lawyer. Show time!

* * *

 _(Mithra 3rd POV)_

 _14 December 2031, 8.00 am_

 _Hall of Justice, High Court of Khurain_

 _TRIAL IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE. ALL RISE._

"Ehem. We shall commence the trial of Vokaru Reist. Are both sides ready?" The judge announced.

"T-the defense is r-ready, Your Magistry." Mithra croaked out.

"The prosecution is also ready, Your Magistry." The prosecutor-in-charge, Gaspen Payne replied.

"Hmmmm, defense. Are you sure you're prepared?" The judge inquired. "You look quite pale, to be honest."

'Ack. Am I really that obvious?' Mithra thought sullenly. "I-I'm fine, Your Magistry. Just a little bit nervous."

"Yes, you are quite obvious there, Mithra." Apollo answered besides him as if reading his mind.

"You look quite young to be a lawyer, Mr. Ritabrata. How old are you exactly?" The judge noted.

"Umm, I'm only nineteen, sir." The lawyer replied. "I just got my badge a few weeks ago."

"I see. Quite the young age to start a career." The judge then turned his attention to Apollo. "I must say, Mr. Justice. I was quite surprised to hear that you won't be leading the defense today. Yet here you are, handing such a case to your protege." The judge said curiously.

"I'm simply giving Mithra a chance to shine." The horned head explained calmly. "And don't worry. I wouldn't have passed the defense to him if he wasn't ready."

The judge nodded thoughtfully. "True. Very well then. Prosecutor Payne, you may deliver your opening statement."

"Hmph. To think that you would back out of this case, Mr Justice and instead, giving it to a mere rookie. Are you sure you weren't just scared of my prowess as a prosecutor?" Gaspen sneered. The long-haired lawyer gritted his teeth in anger.

'Okay, this guy is pissing me off already.' He thought.

"Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter. At least I can show this newbie why I was called the Rookie Humiliator back in the States." The veteran prosecutor ranted.

"Ehem. Your opening statement, please." The judge interrupted.

"Of course." The prosecutor cleared his throat before continuing. "Now, at 3.00 pm, the body of Gita Reist, a singer was found at her residence, having been killed approximately fifteen minutes prior to being found. The cause of death was blunt force trauma at the head, which caused severe bleeding. The details are here in the autopsy report."

 _Autopsy Report added to the Court Records._

"Hmmm, the time of death is surprisingly quite accurate here. That is strange." The judge said.

"Yes, it was thanks to our witness who stumbled upon the body right around the time of the murder. He even saw the accused running out of the crime scene!" Gaspen explained.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Is that why my client was accused? Simply because he came out of the crime scene?!" Mithra cried out.

The prosecutor remained smug twirling his toupee. "Of course not. I'm not that foolish, rookie. If you had just let me continue my explanation."

The judge shook his head. "Next time, let your elders finish talking before giving out any objections."

"Ack! Sorry..." He muttered, slumping down.

"A little bit too early there, Mithra." Apollo chided lightly. It only made the young lawyer look more depressed.

Hearing no interruptions, the prosecutor continued. "Now, as I was saying, the murder weapon was found at the scene of crime. A guitar, owned by the accused, and coincidentally contained the accused's fingerprints!"

"WHAAAAT?!" Mithra shouted in surprise.

 _Bloody Guitar added to the Court Records._

"And not only that..." Gaspen added. "...but the defendant also have a motive for committing the crime."

"P-P-POHLKUNKAA!" Mithra was practically sweating buckets after hearing all of this. How could he win when everything points out to his client?

"Now, now. It's still not over yet." Apollo interjected.

"What do you mean, sir? Everything points out to Mr. Reist. And he even have the evidence to prove it." He asked.

"Well, there's still a lot of questions unanswered right now. But first..." Apollo turned his attention to Gaspen who was looking smug. "Prosecutor Payne, I believe you were about to explain to the court about the motive of the accused?"

"Well, yes. But for that, I would like to call out Mr. Reist to the witness stand." Gaspen said.

"The accused himself? You mean he will be testifying for his own motive?" The judge blinked his eye in surprise.

"No, but please. Just play along with it, Your Magistry." The prosecutor explained vaguely

"Hmmm. Well, this is quite strange but I will allow it if the defense are okay with it." He said.

'What's this guy planning? Whatever it is, I don't like it.' The young attorney thought. But he couldn't find anything wrong for now, he decided to play along. "The defense has no objections."

"Very well. The court calls the accused, Mr. Vokaru Reist to the stand." The judge said as he banged his gavel to the desk.

* * *

Vokaru was standing at the witness stand, looking nervous and playing with his guitar (badly as matter of fact).

"Uhhh, why am I called here again?" He asked nervously.

"I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind." The prosecutor said.

"Uhhh, sure."

"How long have you been married to the victim?" The toupee wearing prosecutor asked.

"Uhhmm, I don't see how this is relevant to the case, Prosecutor Payne." The judge inquired.

"Just indulge me a bit, Your Magistry." He said vaguely.

The bearded man remained sceptical but relented. "Very well. Witness, please answer the question."

"It's been five years, Your Magistry. We first met when we made our performance in a local bar." The blond sighed dreamily.

"Ah, I see. The two of you are musicians, I presume?" The judge asked.

"Yes. I was a wandering musician while Gita was a small-time singer. When we married, we decided to settle down in Khurain, where she was born." Voruka explained.

"Yes, yes, moving on." Gaspen dismissed the statement offhandedly. "Now, witness. Is it true that you have been experiencing some financial difficulties during your marriage?"

"Uhhh, I-I, erm, I don't know what you're talking about?" The musician replied nervously.

'Uh-oh. This can't be good.' Mithra thought.

"And is it true that you have been arguing with your 'dear wife' for the past few months regarding this very issue?" Gaspen pressed on.

"Uh, I, ummm..." Voruka was sweating nervously, obviously uncomfortable with the question. Mithra decided to take matters to his own hands.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Prosecutor! I insist you not to badger my client unnecessarily with your questions!" He exclaimed while slamming his fist to the table.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Oh, but I do insist, defense. My questions are necessary to this case, as you will see later." The veteran prosecutor retorted with a smirk. "It's not my fault that the accused cannot handle the simple truth."

"Grrr, why you..." Mithra growled in anger.

 ***BANG***

"Objection sustained." The judge said. "But I must warn the prosecution to not make the witness any more uncomfortable than he already is."

"Certainly, Your Magistry. I was just about to make my point." Gaspen stated. "Back to my line of questioning. Witness?"

"Uhhh, yes?"

"What would you do if you were to find out that your wife has been unfaithful to you?" The prosecutor asked.

Voruka jumped in surprise before snarling. "That's ludicrous. My dear Gita would never do that. We were meant for each other! Like Romeo and Juliet! Like Helen and Paris!"

'Didn't they all get killed or something?' Mithra thought with a sweatdrop.

"But what if that wasn't the case? Would you get angry?" Gaspen asked rhetorically as his expression turned into a smirk. "Perhaps angry enough to justify murder?"

"Would you just get to the point already?!" The young attorney growled impatiently.

"My, my. How rude of you." Gaspen clicked his tongue distastefully. "You certainly lack some manners, boy."

"Mr. Ritabrata, I must warn you not to make any outburst like that again." The judge warned grimly. The teen only huffed and nodded. "But the defense is not without merit, prosecution. You certainly have been dancing around the subject for quite a while."

"Very well, Your Magistry. I guess I shouldn't waste any more time." The man took out a picture from his suit. "This photo was found at the crime scene near the accused's belonging. As you can see, the contents are rather...interesting."

The picture showed a woman, the victim, with a man garbed in a trenchcoat, wearing sunglasses and a fedora, making it hard to identify the man. It was then that Mithra made the connection.

 _Photo of Gita added to the Court Records._

"Ack! You can't be serious." He said weakly.

"Oh, but I am serious. Witness, your 'dear wife' has been cheating on you." Gaspen said with a smug look, twirling his toupee. "And you know about it. In anger, you confronted your wife and -BAM- murdered her in a fit of rage."

The guitarist was visibly disturbed. "No, t-that's not true! I-I never even saw that picture before, I swear."

"Oh, then how did this piece of evidence found itself lying amongst your personal belongings?"

"I-I don't know..."

"I suppose we can take that as your confession, accused?" Gaspen asked snidely. Voruka looked at Mithra pleadingly. His eyes simply screamed 'Please help me. I'm innocent, I swear', but the rookie could only clench his fist angrily. He simply couldn't find a way out. Just as he was about to give up-

"Mithra, I didn't think you would give up this easily." Apollo called out. "I taught you better than this."

"But, sir. Their case is solid. I can't find any-"

"There is no such thing as a perfect case. And I've found a few inconsistencies in his case." The horned haired attorney interrupted.

"Oh, what's this? The Crimson Dragon has found a flaw in my perfect case? I feel insulted." Gaspen interjected mockingly.

The man only scoffed. "If you can call it a perfect case. But I would like to-"

Their arguments were interrupted by a figure entering the courtroom.

"Apologies for my tardiness. I was caught up in a few affairs just now."

The person who entered was a girl, probably around seventeen or eighteen judging from her height. She exudes a majestic aura and her clothing, which clings onto her well-endowed figure, only accentuates the fact. Her green eyes gave her a sharp look, and her hairstyle, while odd, only further enhances her beauty. And to Mithra she was-

'The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.' As he took a closer look on the girl, he realised who she was. 'Oh shit. She's-'

Everyone widened their eye in surprise. The judge then spoke. "Oh, Your Benevolence. It's a great pleasure to see you here. I thought it would be Her Mercifulness who would be performing the Divination Seance."

"Oh, I let Mother handle the affairs for now. It has been quite awhile since I've stepped into the Hall of Justice."

"Oho, I see. Very well then. I don't see any problem with-"

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

Everyone in the court turned their attention to Apollo. "Mr. Justice? Is there a problem?"

"Actually, Your Magistry. I don't think a Divination Seance would be necessary here." He voiced out.

Rayfa, who looked unamused crossed her arms. "And why is that, Horned Head?"

Mithra also looked at his boss and hissed. "Mr. Justice, what do you mean we don't need a Divination Seance? I'm pretty sure we're screwed without it?!"

"Don't worry, Mithra. Just play along." He then turned back to Rayfa who was waiting for a response. "Now, for your question, Your Benevolence. I believe that a Divination Seance is unnecessary here because the truth has already been laid bare to us all."

"Bah! Is this another of your mentor's infamous bluff technique, Mr. Justice? Don't believe any word that crooked menace says, Your Benevolence." Gaspen objected.

Apollo merely narrowed his eyes. "I assure you, Prosecutor Payne. This is no bluff. You can convince yourself a thousand times that your case is infallible, but it is anything but that."

"Urrgh, urg, GAH!" The veteran prosecutor recoiled.

"Hmmm, interesting proposition." The princess had a thoughtful look before a haughty smirk graced her face. "But can you back up your claims, Horned Head?"

Apollo kept up his calm demeanor and answered. "Well, I certainly could, but I think I'll pass this one to my protege, seeing as he is leading the defense for today."

"Yeah, sure...WAIT WHAT?!" Mithra muttered before realising what his mentor was implying.

Rayfa turned towards the long-haired lawyer who was flustered by her attention. She stared at him for quite a while, making him even more nervous. "So this is the apprentice you spoke of. Interesting."

'Wait, Apollo spoke about me to Princess Rayfa?' He thought.

"You." The princess called out.

"Y-yes, Your Benevolence." He stammered.

"...I look forward to seeing your progress in this trial." Rayfa said cryptically.

"...Huh?"

"Very well, Horned Head. Your wish shall be granted. I will be observing this trial from the sidelines." She added.

The judge blinked his eyes in confusion. "Well, this is quite odd certainly, but if you insist, Your Benevolence. We shall commence the trial normally."

"You're on your own now, Mithra." Apollo whispered.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Mithra asked for advice.

"Just like when you observe me for every trial. Find any inconsistencies in the prosecution's case." His mentor answered.

"But-"

"I have faith that you can find the truth, Mithra." Apollo reassured warmly. Mithra, who was nervous before took a deep breath and stared at his mentor with a determined look.

"Right. Thanks, sir. I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't."

"Now, prosecution. I believe you have a witness ready to testify?" The judge inquired.

"Ah, yes. He's been waiting at the lobby for a while now. Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

* * *

"Witness. Name and occupation, please." Gaspen said.

The man in question was wearing a black leather jacket with similar skintight jeans, complete with black leather gloves to give him the appearance of a punk. His hair was long and had a messy curl, and his skin...was covered in white paint. To make things even more strange, he was currently playing with a drum set (his probably?).

"Yo, yo, yo! Dur'am Perku'us is ma name, and bringing rhythm is ma game, yeah, yeah, yeah!" He screamed while playing his drums...rather loudly.

'Arrrrggghhh, how is this even allowed?!' Mithra whined inwardly. 'He's gonna burst everyone's eardrum at this rate.'

"Aghhh, what in tarnation is this awful noise?!" The judge groaned while covering his ears.

"I'm sorry, Your Magistry, but this man insists on bringing his instruments to the court." The prosecutor replied loudly while covering his ears in pain.

"Witness!" The judge called out. "WITNESS!" The man was still too caught up in his beat. "BAILIFF! GET THE WITNESS UNDER CONTROL!"

.

.

.

"Now, witness. I presume that you have calmed down by now?" The judge said exasperatedly, obviously annoyed by the witness' behaviour.

"Sorry 'bout that, ma J-man. Got a lil' bit caught up just now." The witness said casually, as if not feeling guilty at all.

'Quite the understatement there buddy, seeing as you were about to commit mass murder inside the court.' Mithra sweatdropped. As he observed the man more, he felt something familiar with the witness. 'Where have I seen him before?'

"I don't think he really cares." Apollo said with the same expression as the others.

The judge shook his head. "I never thought that we could find a rival for your Chords of Steel, Mr. Justice." Ignoring the protest from the horned head. "Now, witness. I believe you are here to testify about what you saw when you arrived at the crime scene."

Dur'am nodded. "Of course, J-man. Whatever ya say."

* * *

 _ **Testimony**_

 _ ***What I saw***_

 **"I was on my way to the scene of crime, ya see. Had some business to finish with dem."**

 **"When I arrived, I saw V-man running out of his house, looking like he saw a ghost or sumthing."**

 **"He didn't even lock the door or anything, so I got curious."**

 **"Once I got inside, I saw Gita there lying on the floor. Dead."**

 **"Like a flash, I dialed the cops. No wait and all."**

* * *

"Well, I don't find anything wrong with the testimony, but I must ask. What is your relation to the Reist family?" The judge asked.

"'Course, J-man. V-man and I go way back when we were still bringing our rhythms at the streets. In fact, I was the one who introduced those two together." Dur'am answered while playing with his drums, quietly.

"If that's the case, couldn't you have also been suspected of murder?!" Mithra voiced out.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"My, my. Are you that desperate to pin the blame on an innocent witness?" Gaspen asked. "Or do I need to remind you about the fingerprints on the murder weapon? Or the picture I presented a few minutes ago?"

"Ack!" 'I had that coming, didn't I?'

"Mithra, if you want to point out any contradiction, do it during the cross-examination." Apollo reminded.

"Yes, sir." The teen said hesitantly. 'Looks like this is it. My first cross-examination. Let's see if I can pick anything odd from the witness."

"Defense, you may begin your cross-examination." The judge announced.

 _ **Cross-Examination**_

 _ ***What I saw***_

 **"I was on my way to the scene of crime, ya see. Had some business to finish with dem."**

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

"Witness, what is this 'business' you were talking about?" Mithra asked.

The drummer shrugged and answered. "Nuthin much. Just some talks 'bout new gigs and all, if ya know what I mean."

"Is there any point to this questioning, Mr. Ritabrata?" The judge turned his attention to Mithra.

'I don't find anything wrong with it, but I think it will be important later.' The lawyer nodded a yes. "It is quite important, Your Magistry."

The bearded man nodded. "Very well. Witness, please amend your testimony."

"Right on your beat, J-man." Dur'am said. "Now, as I was saying..."

 **"I went over to talk over about our new gigs. That's all."**

 **"When I arrived, I saw V-man running out of his house, looking like he saw a ghost or sumthing."**

'Nothing seems wrong with it. Moving on.'

 **"He didn't even lock the door or anything, so I got curious."**

'Same here.'

 **"Once I got inside, I saw Gita there lying on the floor. Dead."**

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

"Can you clarify your statement on when you stumbled upon the crime scene?" Mithra inquired.

"Uhhh, I'm not getting your rhythm, L-man." The witness said.

"Ummm, what?" The lawyer replied in confusion.

"I think he means that he doesn't understand your question, Mithra." Apollo decided to translate the witness' sentence for him.

"Oh." He realised. 'Is my sentence **that** complicated?' He cleared his throat before continuing. "What I meant was, what was the time when you found the body?"

The painted man lit up in realisation. "Oh, why didn't you say so, L-man? Sure, why not?"

 _ **"**_ **I believe it was around 2.45 when I found the body."**

 **"Like a flash, I dialed the cops. No wait and all."**

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Mr. Perku'us, are you absolutely sure that you found the body at 2.45 pm?" Mithra asked.

"Sure as an arrow, L-man. This noggin' of mine still works great, ya know." Dur'am answered.

"Hmmm, I see." Mithra nodded thoughtfully.

The judge blinked his eyes in confusion. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Ritabrata? Surely you didn't just raise an objection to ask that question?"

"No, it's more than that. It's just...I find it weird that he stumbled upon the crime scene..." He then raised his left arm and pointed at the witness. "...and only to report it FIFTEEN minutes after the murder!"

"W-WHAAAAT?!" Gaspen cried out in disbelief.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"Is this true, witness?" The judge stared at Dur'am who looked nervous as he beat his drum sets frantically.

"Ummmm, I, urgh.."

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Err, ummm, I think the witness was just confused about the time, Your Magistry." Gaspen tried to explain. "P-perhaps he found the body at 3.00 pm, a-and certainly the shock made him confused about the time."

Dur'am who was sweating collected himself. "Y-yeah. That's right. I was just c-confused. That's all, nothing weird."

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Wasn't it you who said that you were and I quote, 'absolutely sure that you found the body at 2.45 pm?'" Mithra argued. "And seeing as that noggin' of yours still works great like you said just now, I find it weird that you would make such a vital mistake?" He crossed his arms and gave a smirk.

"Urgh, urgh uhh, GAH!" The drummer was sweating nervously until the drumsticks hit his head.

"Good job there, Mithra." Apollo congratulated. "I knew you could find it eventually."

"Uhhh, thanks, Mr. Justice." He said flustered.

Apollo simply shook his head. "But that's just half of the equation. You need to answer the other half."

"What do you mean?" Mithra was confused with his mentor's words. Sometimes he can be a little too cryptic with his advice.

"Think about it. WHY did he lie to the court?"

"...Oh."

"I believe Mr. Justice has raised a point. Do you think you can find out the reason, Mr. Ritabrata?" The judge threw the question which got him sweating.

'Gee, thanks boss.' He calmed himself down and collected his thoughts. 'Why would the witness lie about the time? There's gotta be a reason. Wait a minute. Could it be?'

 ***BANG***

"I believe that's enough thinking for you, defense. Have you found the answer?" The judge boomed.

Mithra simply nodded his head. "I believe I do, Your Magistry."

"Very well, what is it?"

"The defense believe that the witness is...telling the truth."

...

...

...

The court was silent and the judge blink his eyes. "Come again, defense?"

"I believe that Mr. Perku'us was not lying regarding the time he found the body." He reiterated.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Have you gone senile? Weren't you the one who exposed this contradiction in the first place?" Gaspen retorted.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"I wasn't finished with my explanations, prosecutor. It's quite rude to interrupt someone's conversation, you know." Mithra said smugly. The prosecutor gasped and recoiled in shock. The lawyer then continued. "Now, if we were to take the witness' words as truth, then he did found the body at 2.45 pm, the estimated time of death. Yet, the report was made at 3.00 pm, a full fifteen minutes after the murder. Question is, what was the witness doing in that fifteen minutes?"

"Oh!" The judge's eye widened in surprise. "I believe you're right, defense."

"So, witness..." Mithra slammed his fist to the bench before pointing to the drummer. "...what were you doing in that room between 2.45 and 3.00 pm?!"

"Uh, uh, GAH! Ya got me!" The witness stammered frantically.

"Witness?" The judge asked, confused by the witness' confession. "Are you admitting to something?"

'Woah, I didn't expect him to confess anything this fast?' He thought in surprise. He then turned to his mentor who remained stoic.

Dur'am finally confessed. "I admit that I...tampered with the crime scene."

"...Wait, that's it?" Mithra asked with a deadpan. "I thought you were gonna confess about being the real culprit or something?"

The witness looked at him strangely before laughing. "Hahahaha, you really crack me up right there, L-man. I think you should be a comedian instead, hahahaha!"

"Uhhh, no thanks. I like my career right now, thank you very much." The teen said politely. 'Although I'm probably having second thoughts about this trial right now.'

"But seriously. Why should I confess on killing Gita? I'm innocent, I tell ya. Sure, I did tamper with the crime scene, but that was 'cus I wanted to protect ma bro V-man, but seeing as he got himself caught anyway, I see no choice but to sing out the real truth to the crowds."

"Ummm, what exactly did you tamper from the crime scene, witness?" Mithra asked.

"Well..." Dur'am took out a piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to the prosecutor. "...how 'boutcha sing the lyrics while I play ma beat? That cool with ya, P-man?" The man played his drums as an added measure.

"Ummm, of course." Gaspen cleared his throat before reading the contents of the letter. 'Break it up or suffer the consequences.' What in the world?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mithra asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, L-man. That letter was referring to V-man over there. Obviously his 'dear Gita' is sick of his crap and was about to leave him." Dur'am explained with a smirk.

 _Letter from Victim added to the Court Records._

The court immediately fell into an uproar hearing the statement. Vokaru looked pale from the accused's bench, seemingly not knowing about this.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"Order! Order in the court!" The judge boomed, demanding silence from the spectators, he turned his attention to the drummer. "Witness, while you have clearly shown yourself to be guilty of tampering the crime scene, I must have you testify about this letter, so to speak."

"Of course, of course, J-man. The beat's coming right up."Dur'am stated.

* * *

 _ **Testimony**_

 _ ***Tampering the crime scene***_

 **"When I found the body, I just knew that V-man did it."**

 **"I knew it was wrong, but I gotta protect ma bro."**

 **"I looked around the room and saw the paper lying around V-man's stuff."**

 **"When I read it, I knew it was bad news so I took it."**

 **"It must have been why I reported alil' bit late. Sorry 'bout that."**

* * *

The judge shook his head distastefully. "While I understand the reason behind your actions, tampering with the crime scene is still a serious offence, witness."

"I know, J-man. My bad, my bad." He shrugged off the judge's words.

The elder magistrate turned to Mithra and said. "Very well. Defense, your cross-examination please."

"Of course, Your Magistry." He nodded. 'Alright, there must something that contradicts the evidence. And I know just what it is.'

 _ **Cross-examination**_

 _ ***Tampering the crime scene***_

 **"When I found the body, I just knew that V-man did it."**

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

"What made you so sure that it was Mr. Reist who did it?" Mithra questioned.

The witness remained silent for a while before he responded. "I just knew. It was like that thing when you just knew the rhythm is perfect, ya dig L-man?"

The young attorney slumped down and sweatdropped. 'Man, this guy got lingo far worse than anything I've heard before.' He then cleared his throat and pressed on. "Can you explain what that actually means?"

"'Course, L-man. Whatever ya say." The rocker said while beating on his drums.

 **"I knew 'bout their family issues, so it ain't far off to think that he could be the murderer."**

 **"I knew it was wrong, but I gotta protect ma bro."**

 **"I looked around the room and saw the paper lying around V-man's stuff."**

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

Mithra shook his head in amusement. "You know what I think, witness? I think you're a terrible friend."

"What're you blabbering 'bout now, L-man?" The drummer asked in annoyance, although he seemed nervous as his drum beats are more frantic.

"While I don't condone your actions of tampering with the crime scene, and so does the whole court, I must wonder why you took that letter, yet left out another incriminating evidence such as...this behind?" He presented the Photo of Gita to the court, which prompted the expression of surprise to the witness.

"!"

A smirk graced Mithra's face. "Surprised? I was too when the prosecutor presented it to the court, which brings me to one more thing." He gave a deadly stare to the witness who was sweating nervously and presented another evidence, the Bloody Guitar. "If you were trying to cover for Mr. Reist, why didn't you wipe out any PRINTS from the murder weapon?"

"GAH!" Dur'am threw his drumsticks up, this time hitting him on the head.

Once again, the courtroom fell into an uproar. Mithra was happy with how the trial is flowing.

"Looks like you're getting the hang of it, Mithra." Apollo noted with a grin.

"Yup, it seems that this guy got more holes in his testimony than Swiss cheese." The teen said excitedly.

"True, but like I said, this is just getting started. Show me your true potential, and solve this case." His mentor added.

"Right on it, sir!" Mithra nodded in agreement.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"Order! I will have order!" The judge then glared at the witness. "Witness, I'll have you know. Perjury is a very serious crime. One that you already did twice."

"Uh, I, I was just...ya know.." The witness stammered, beating his drums wildly.

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"This is absolutely ludicrous, Your Magistry. Whether or not the witness is protecting the accused has no bearing whatsoever to the case." Gaspen tried to object.

The judge shook his head. "I believe not, Prosecutor Payne. The witness has not only been hiding vital evidence from the court but also committed perjury. I'd hard-pressed to think that this has nothing to do with the case."

"Gurgh, GYAAAA!" The 'Rookie Humiliator' shrieked.

'Alright! Now's the time.' Slamming his fist at the table, Mithra tried to convey his points. "Now, that brings us to our next question. If he didn't do it for my client, why did the witness go so far as to hide the evidence?"

"Why, I believe you're right, Mr. Ritabrata!" The judge showed surprise on his face as if he hasn't realised the question before. "And I believe you have the answer to this?"

"...huh?" He asked in confusion, before rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You mean I have to answer it?"

"Of course! You're the defense here, not any of us!" The judge said.

"You haven't gotten that far yet, have you?" Apollo guessed, which seemed correct from his protege's expression.

"Ack! Sorry, just gimme a minute to collect my thoughts." He assured.

"You don't have to think too far. It's pretty obvious there." Apollo advised. "If your client is innocent, then who else could be the culprit?"

Mithra realised what Apollo was implying. "You mean?"

"That's the only way it makes sense."

 ***BANG***

"Have you found the answer, Mr. Ritabrata?" The judge inquired.

Mithra nodded his head. "I believe I do, Your Magistry."

The magistrate seemed satisfied. "Very well. What is the reason behind the witness' action so far?"

The lawyer paused for a moment before giving out a smirk. "Well, Mr. Perku'us. You've weaved quite the tale to the court just now. I'm pretty sure you can make a song out of it."

The drummer seemed to blush from the 'compliment'. "Aww shucks. Don't mention it, L-man. Everyone knows I can make some sick beat outta anything."

"But it's nothing more than just that. A tale weaved by a crooked liar."

"...Come again?"

"Your actions so far has been anything but helpful to the court. Hiding vital evidence from all of us, committing perjury and for what?"

"I'm not getting your rhythm, L-man. I really don't." Dur'am said in confusion.

"Well, let's put it this way. You said that you did all of this to protect someone from getting indicted." With a slam of fist and a finger point, Mithra's voice boomed to the court. "Well, I say that you're only protecting yourself, MURDERER!"

..

..

..

"WHAAAAAATT?!" Everyone in the court exclaimed, excluding the defense and the witness.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"Mr. Ritabrata!" The judge called out. "You're not implying what I think you're implying, right?"

"Oh, but I am, Your Magistry." He pointed his fingers at Dur'am who remained silent. "The defense indicts Dur'am Perku'us for the murder of Gita Reist!"

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"You've gone mad, rookie!" Gaspen spat. "Pointing your fingers at an innocent witness. Just like your mentor, your idiocy knows no bounds."

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"If you're calling me an idiot based on that assumption, Prosecutor Payne. How about you answer the question? What was the reason behind all of the witness' action?! I dare you to find one that makes complete sense right now!"

"Gurk!" Gaspen recoiled in surprise, having no rebuttals for that.

Mithra crossed his arms and had a celebratory grin. "Speechless, I see? And just so you know, this witness is far from innoc-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a drumstick went flying, almost hitting him in the face, instead embedding itself to the wall behind him. "What the-?" He turned to the Dur'am who had a crooked grin on his face.

"I had 'bout just enuf of your crap, punk." He barked.

'So, now I'm a punk?' The long-haired lawyer thought. Everyone was surprised with the witness' change of attitude.

"Witness?" The judge asked, blinking his eyes in confusion. "Are you admitting to the truth now?"

The man snortled. "Ha. As if. I simply don't like punks who think he can mess with ma own rhythm like him."

"Grrr, why you-" Before Mithra tried to lash out, Apollo stopped him.

"Mithra, remember the judge's warning. You can't lash out inside the court." Apollo reminded. Mithra growled but listened to his mentor.

The mad drummer began laughing and played his drums rather loudly (though not as loud as earlier). "That's right, ya punk. Listen to that boss of yours. If ya know what's good for you?"

Apollo was unamused with his antics though. "As for you witness, I think it'd be best if you try to 'make up' an excuse, because you're on our sights now."

"Bah, I don't need to make up any excuse. I'm innocent like an angel, I tell ya." The man remained confident.

"We'll see. But first, Your Magistry?"

The judge lit up at being called. "Yes, Mr. Justice?"

"The defense would like to request for a fifteen-minute recess. There's some evidence that we need to pick up. Which I will discuss with you and the prosecution later."

'Evidence? There's some more evidence?' Mithra thought. His boss seems to have figured out everything about this case.

"Oh. Well, I certainly don't mind. I do have some business to finish right now." The elderly magistrate cleared his throat before continuing. "The court will take a fifteen-minute recess. By then, I hope that both sides have made some solid arguments for their cases."

 ***BANG***

* * *

 _(Mithra 1st POV)_

 _14 December 2031, 10.30am_

 _Accused Lobby, High Court of Khurain_

"Whew, dodged a few stray bullets right there." I sighed in relief. Honestly, I'd been toast without Mr. Justice helping me.

"Well, I'd say that you also dodged a few drumsticks just now." Mr. Justice said jokingly, but I wasn't really laughing.

"So, what's this evidence you're getting us?" I asked.

"Just copies of some medical report. I had Datz to bring it here, so it shouldn't take long."

"Medical reports? What's that gotta do with the case?" I don't think anyone's health is related to the case.

"Well, not directly. But it will get us closer to the truth." Sigh. Sometimes, my boss can be a little hard to read, and that's saying something seeing as I'm a lawyer here. Just then, I heard the door slamming loudly and a familiar voice shouted.

"Hey, AJ! I got whatcha need here!" Mr. Arebal said with a grin, before turning to me and slapping me at the back. Rather harshly. "Eyyy, MR. Good job there just now. You look just like a real deal lawyer there."

"Well, I am a real lawyer, Mr. Arebal." He slumped down hearing me call him like that. He always insists on calling him Datz or Uncle. I quickly changed the subject. "So, can I have a look at the report, sir?"

Mr. Justice, who was focused on reading the report snapped out of his trance. "Oh! Of course. This is for you after all." He gave me a copy of the medical report. When I saw he front page, it said that it was...Dur'am's medical report?

"Sir, why do we need this anyway? What's the witness' medical condition gotta do with the case?" I couldn't help but feel curious.

Mr. Justice simply gave me a smile. "That's for you to find out during the trial. Now, I have to give this to the judge and the prosecution to verify this evidence. Meanwhile, better think up some stuff for later." And with that he left the room. Oh well, I'll just keep reading this report.

Hmmm...okay some fever and all. Nothing new...broken legs...wait...third-degree burns all over the body? I read this part in more detail. So Mr. Perku'us was involved in a fire which gave him the burns? But I don't see any scars at all. Well, I guess that's why covered himself in white paint. There was some pictures attached showing his scars and around. Hmmm, for some reason this looked so familiar. But from where?

"Hmmm, is everything okay?" A voice called out.

I immediately jumped in surprise before realising it was just my client. "Oh, Mr. Reist. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. I'm just thinking about stuff." He seemed a little bit depressed, but that's understandable considering he just found out that his wife cheated on him.

"I'm sorry about your wife." He slumped down even more, and dark clouds seemed to form above his head if that was possible.

"It's just...I can't believe that my dear Gita would do such a thing!" He started bawling and I couldn't help but feel pity for the man. He seemed to have loved his wife dearly, and this is how she paid back? Atrocious. But I don't think he's capable of murder even knowing the fact.

"Ummm, actually. There's something I wanna tell you before, but I forgot." Vokaru admitted meekly.

"What is it?"

The man took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Uhh, I found this lying around in my house before I left during the day of the murder." I looked at the paper carefully.

"A letter? Hmmm, let's see... 'If you don't want your dear to suffer anymore, come find me.' Wait? This is an extortion letter! Why didn't you tell us about this?!" This is absolutely vital!

 _Extortion Letter added to the Court Records._

"I'm sorry! I was just too scared to tell! I thought it was talking about me, but after listening to the trial, I think it was for...nah, probably just my imagination." Well, he seems to be thinking about something, but I'll figure it out later. Just in time, the bailiff entered the lobby.

"The recess is about to be over. Please return to the Hall of Justice immediately." I nodded and brought my client with me. It's time for the truth to reveal itself. Show time!

* * *

(Mithra 3rd POV)

 _14 December 2031, 10.45 pm_

 _Hall of Justice, High Court of Khurain_

The court was filled with chatters of the crowd, especially after defense's claim of Dur'am being the murderer. Mithra looked calm and ready to go, while Gaspen looked...slightly pale (probably because of Apollo's last-minute evidence retrieval). Dur'am on the other hand was back to playing his drums.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"The court is now back in session." The judge announced. "And both sides are ready to present their arguments, I presume?"

"Absolutely, Your Magistry." Mithra affirmed with a nod.

"Uh, well. Of course." The veteran prosecutor said.

"Well then. What is your response to the defense's assertion?"

"Well, the prosecution thinks that the defense are grasping at straws, Your Magistry." He explained. "After all, the evidence all points out to the accused, Vokaru Reist. We even have his fingerprints on the murder weapon, complete with the motives to commit the crime. So I say, begone with your foolishness, defense."

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Well, it's true that our assertion are merely circumstantial at this moment, there is no denying that the witness here, has the opportunity to commit the crime. Same as my client. And that is what I intend to prove!" Mithra slammed his fist and gave a determined look at the prosecution. 'Funny. I don't feel nervous anymore. I guess I'm already used to it.'

"Hmmm, it seems that the defense had their arguments ready. Very well, let's hear it out. The judge said.

The teen shook his head no. "Actually, I would like to give a chance for the witness to testify in this case."

"Huh? What're ya talking 'bout, punk?" He asked snidely.

"You claim that you are 'innocent like an angel', correct?" He asked, getting gruff nod. "How about you testify to the court about the reasons? Prove to us that you are not the murderer of Gita Reist."

Dur'am paused for a moment before giving out a crooked grin. "Well, I like yer style, punk. You better be prepared cus I'm gonna bring the beatdown of your lifetime, punk!" He bashed his drums as some form of threat.

Mithra simply gave a smirk. 'Hmph, give me your worst, paint man.'

* * *

 _ **Testimony**_

 _ ***Why I'm Innocent***_

 **"First of all, why would I even kill Gita, man? I got no motives."**

 **"Like the P-man said, V-man was the one who got issues with his gurl."**

 **"And 'sides, ma fingerprints ain't even on the bloody guitar?"**

 **"Punk, ya better give up, cus I'm innocent as an angel."**

* * *

"Well, I guess this is your turn, Mr. Ritabrata. Your cross-examination please." The judge said.

The young lawyer nodded his head. "Certainly, Your Magistry."

"Remember, Mithra. Use the new information you got just now." Apollo suggested.

"Of course, Mr. Justice. I got this." He assured both his mentor and himself.

 _ **Cross-examination**_

 _ ***Why I'm Innocent***_

 **"First of all, why would I even kill Gita, man? I got no motives."**

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

"Are you sure you have no motives, witness?" Mithra insisted. "Not even a slight grudge agai-" Again, he had to dodge another drumstick flying at him. "Hey!"

"Ya really don't get it, do ya?" Dur'am asked mockingly. "When I said I got nuthin, it means I got nuthin!" He bashed his drums loudly causing everyone to groan from its loudness.

"Okay, okay. I understand, just enough with the noise." The teen whined desperately.

When the noise was quelled, the judge left Mithra with a warning. "Defense, I think it'd be best for everyone if you stop badgering the witness with unnecessary question."

"Urgh, yes, Your Magistry." He said with a sweat drop. 'I really hate this guy.'

 **"Like the P-man said, V-man was the one who got issues with his gurl."**

 _ **HOLD IT!**_

"Can you clarify your statement about this 'issue' they have?" Mithra inquired.

"Clarify what? Your rhythm's way too off, punk. Even for a real deal like me." The drummer snapped.

'You are far from the 'real deal', I can assure you of that.' He thought with a sweat drop. "What I meant was, do you know anything about their issues, especially the ones regarding Ms. Reist cheating on his husband?"

"!" For some moment there, the witness seemed to tense up before eventually responded. "Oh, that. Of course not. I just knew 'bout it during this trial. Shame on ya, V-man."

"Mithra." Apollo called out in a small voice. "The witness is lying. I'm sure you've seen it right?"

"You mean the moment he tensed up when I asked about the cheating thing? Yeah, I did." He whispered back.

Apollo nodded. "Just now, I saw him messing his beat when he said he found out during the trial."

"Really?! Wow. Your eyes sure are sharp, Mr. Justice." Mithra said impressed. Of course, he knew about Apollo's 'Perceive' ability, but he couldn't help but be impressed every time he saw in action. "But what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means he's hiding something. It's up to you to find out what." Apollo said.

 ***BANG***

"And just what are you two whispering over there, defense?" The judge asked curiously.

"Ha, probably a way to save their own hide after losing this trial." Gaspen mocked.

"Ya said it, P-man. Those two are too scared after listening to ma sick beats." He laughed raucously.

"We were just discussing the merits of the witness' statement just now." Mithra admitted. "And we believe that it is important for our cross-examination.

"Well, if you say so, Mr. Ritabrata." The judge said. "If you would, witness."

"Ah, sure. Ain't gonna change a lick. Yer still screwed from behind, punk."

 **"I knew 'bout their money problems, but Gita cheating? Hell no."**

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"So, you really know nothing about Mrs. Reist's infidelity, do you?" Mithra questioned.

"Ya deaf or what, punk? Course I know nuthin 'bout that!" Dur'am growled.

The teen simply shook his head and gave a smirk. "Well, I say you're lying, witness." He then showed the Photo of Gita again. "You remember this?"

"Uhhh, 'course not."

Mithra made a mock thoughtful expression, not believing any of his words. "Well, that's weird. Cause I remember you tensing up when I showed you the picture, as well as the moment I mentioned Mrs. Reist's issue."

"I-I, uh..." The drummer stammered, not having any rebuttal for the lawyer's statement.

"Well, here's what I think is the truth." Mithra slammed his fist at the table, eyes blazing with determination. "You know about this picture. In fact, you know who the man is, do you?"

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"You have no proof of that, defense." Gaspen retorted. "This is just a bluff to fool the courtroom isn't it?" He gave a smirk, thinking he was victorious, but when he saw the rookie having his own smirk, he had second thoughts.

"A bluff? I assure you, Prosecutor Payne. This is no bluff. In fact, I can show just who the man in the picture is."

"W-What?!" Gaspen was seriously shocked. This newbie can actually prove it?! "I-impossible!"

 ***BANG***

"It seems that the defense have an explanation in mind." The judge noted happily.

The teen crossed his arms and grinned gleefully. "Of course, Your Magistry. The clue to the identity of the man in the picture is..."

 _ **TAKE THAT!**_

"...there! At the man's neck. We can see an outline that resembles a burn scar."

The judge looked carefully before his eyes widened in realisation. "Oh! You're absolutely right, Mr. Ritabrata. But who could that be?"

"That's simple, Your Magistry. You can find the person by matching another picture showing the same scar. And I can prove it using this piece of evidence..."

 _ **TAKE THAT!**_

"...this picture!"

Dur'am visibly tensed up looking at that picture. "Where didcha get that?!" He looked pissed off about it.

"Well, I'll tell you later, witness. But first, let us compare the burn scars in these two photos. If you would, Your Magistry."

The judge stared at the pictures intently. "Hmmm, hmmm...oh! It looks exactly the same! So who is this man, anyway?"

Mithra then proceeded to explain. "Well, Your Magistry. Interestingly enough, the second photo was from the medical report we submitted as evidence during our recess just now."

"Oh."

"And what is more interesting is that this medical report belongs to none other than..." Mithra pointed his fingers once again at the sweating witness. "...Dur'am Perku'us!"

"W-WHHAAAATT?!" And for the third time, the court was once again thrown into an uproar. The circumstances just became much more insane as the trial went on.

 ***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

"Order! I will have order!" The judge boomed once again. He then turned to the defense with wide eyes. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Mr. Ritabrata? The witness was the man the victim was cheating with?"

"Absolutely sure, Your Magistry. Why don't you take a look at the witness now?" Everyone stared at Dur'am who was sweating buckets now. "It seemed that I struck a chord in his nerves just now."

"Uhh, I, ummm, GAH!" He stammered before screaming in anger. "Okay, so I was the one she was with!"

"So you admit it huh? Then does that mean-"

"So what's that gotta do with the murder, huh punk?"

"What?" Mithra asked with narrowed eyes. He is not liking the vibe right now.

"So Gita cheated on V-man with me. How does that make me guilty of murder? If anything, it throws me out of the list since I got no motives." The man gave a dark smirk, but unfortunately, he had a point.

"Uhhh, the point is..." Mithra couldn't really find anything. 'Gah, so close! What went wrong? I had everything right, so what went wrong?!'

"Well, well, well. It seems that the rookie is finally done weaving his tale, huh?" Gaspen said with a mocking smirk. "But it's just that. A tale weaved by a crooked liar."

"Urgh, urgh, GAAAHHH!" The teen slumped down in defeat, unable to give anymore rebuttal.

The judge shook his head solemnly. "In the end, the defense don't have enough evidence to solidify their arguments. What a shame. I guess that will be the end of our cross-examination. No objections from both sides?"

"Absolutely not, Your Magistry." Gaspen said gleefully.

"I-I, I h-have, a-an..." Mithra struggled to speak, his voice unable to come out as a result of fear. 'Is this how it's gonna be? Losing my first case just when the real culprit is within my grasp?'

"Eh, I told ya, punk. You ain't cut out to be a lawyer." Dur'am sneered from the witness stand. "You should try to be a clown instead, cus that's what you are. A joke. Hahahahaha-"

 _ **THAT'S ENOUGH!**_

"...huh?"

"Y-your Benevolence?" Gaspen stuttered.

"Princess Rayfa?" Mithra said. Why would she go down again?

"I came here to see a trial just like that of your mentor, defense. So I expect nothing less than the best from you." She said.

"But I..."

She gave him a sharp look to silence him. "You are a part of the Justice's Law Office, right?" When he nodded, Rayfa continued. "So I expect to see a stubborn attitude from you as well. Just like your mentor, and his mentor as well, Phoenix Wright."

"Your Benevolence.." he breathed out in shock. To think that the Royal Priestess of Khurain had that much faith in him.

"She's right, you know." Apollo interjected.

"Mr. Justice..."

"Remember the motto of our office, Mithra. Remember it, put it deep within your soul, then scream it out for everyone to hear."

Mithra closed his eyes. He remembered the motto, of course. Apollo always said it, after all. It was...

"A dragon never yields."

"Louder."

"A dragon never yields."

"Louder."

"A dragon never yields!"

"Louder!"

"A DRAGON NEVER YIELDS!" The teen instantly slammed his table. "Your Magistry. I have an objection!"

"W-what?!" Gaspen cried out in shock.

"Hmm, interesting." The judge noted. "So, I'm guessing that Mr. Ritabrata is back in this trial now?"

"Apologies, Your Magistry. I was simply...distracted, but thanks to Your Benevolence and Mr. Justice..." He gave the two a look of appreciation. "...I am now back to run the show." He pumped his fist in excitement.

"Bah, you still insists on fighting, punk?" Dur'am said in shock.

Mithra simply crosses his arms and gave a smug look. "Of course. After all, a dragon never yields. They fight until their last breath. No matter how much the odds are stacked against them, they will fight and bring back victory!"

"Well, let's hear it, then. Why in the world would I kill Gita? I'd like some evidence if ya got one." The drummer challenged him.

"If it's evidence you want, then it's an evidence you'll get!" The young lawyer exclaimed back, surprising the witness.

"W-what?! Yer bluffing, right? Ya got no evidence at all? Yer supposed to be screwed!" He banged his drums angrily.

"Well, it's time for me bring my own beat, 'cause this is my evidence..."

 _ **TAKE THAT!**_

"The letter? I thought that was for the accused?" The judge asked in confusion.

Mithra shook his head no. "No, that is simply to confuse us all. Remember, who told us about this letter in the first place?"

"It was the wit-GAH! Gaspen shrieked in disbelief.

"Correct. Dur'am Perku'us himself. He took this letter under the pretense of 'protecting the accused' but we all know that is not the case. So that begs us the question. Why did he take the letter in the first place, if it was for the accused?"

"Well, that is quite strange." The elderly magistrate noted.

"It's actually quite simple. The letter was actually meant for him!"

"WHAT?!"

"And if we were to go by this notion, then it means that the victim actually threatened Mr. Perku'us!"

"Urgh!" Dur'am jerked back from the defense's statement.

"But I'm not done yet, witness. Here's how I think really happened. Mrs. Reist cheating on you was nothing than a scheme plotted by you!"

"Oh yeah, how do ya prove that?" The witness barked angrily.

Mithra gave a smirk which unnerved Dur'am. "Simple, with this." The long-haired attorney took out the Extortion Letter and presented it. "This is my final piece of evidence."

The drummer's eye widened like a plate. "Where did you get that?!"

"Oh, so you know about it? That makes things easier." His statement only made the witness more nervous.

"Mr. Ritabrata, what is that?" The judge asked.

"This, Your Magistry, is an extortion letter directed to the victim, Gita Reist."

"What in the world?!" The judge took a quick look and became shocked. "My word. This is an extortion letter! From who?"

"Isn't it obvious? The witness of course!"

"Pohlkunka!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"With a simple test, I'm sure we can find out that Dur'am Perku'us is the man behind all of this!"

"Uhh, I-I can explain! Just gimme a minute!"

"So, how about that, witness? Think you can one up that beat?!" He pointed to the witness, as if challenging him to give his rebuttal.

Dur'am was panicking, even as he bashed his drums frantically. He realised he has no way out. In the end, he threw his drum sets up, but it ended up falling on his head, one by one, with the last one knocking him out.

Dur'am was immediately taken to the infirmary, and when he regained consciousness, he confessed to all of his crimes. Turns out, he has been taking some of Vokaru's share during their performances, which brought the financial problems in the first place. And Gita, knowing about it tried to help her husband by going with Dur'am, but in the end, she threatened to report his crimes to the police, which forced him to take such drastic measures.

"The witness has recovered and is being detained as we speak, Your Magistry." A bailiff reported.

"Hmm, very good." The judge said. "I must say, that is quite the performance, Mr. Ritabrata. Finding out the truth and apprehending the criminal with ease. In your first trial, no less. I see a bright future ahead of you as a lawyer."

Mithra was visibly flustered from all the compliments thrown at him. "Uh, yes. T-thank you, Your Magistry. I w-was just performing my duty. That is all."

"Hoho, such modesty. Quite remarkable for a young man of your age." The bearded man cajoled. "Very well, seeing as both sides have no obj-"

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Prosecutor Payne?" The judge blinked his eyes in confusion. "Is there any problem!"

"T-this is..this is utter lunacy." Gaspen said angrily. "I will not accept this anymore! To lose to a mere upstart like you!" He pointed to Mithra who looked confused. "You! You forged the medical report didn't you, rookie?!"

"Prosecutor Payne, are you honestly accusing the defense of forging evidence?!" The judge was truly shocked at the prosecutor's underhanded ways.

"Well, he was taught by Apollo Justice, right?! Protege of Phoenix Wright, the Forgin' Attorney! Who's to say that he won't go as far as forging evidence to claim his victory?" The prosecutor suggested with a manic gleam on his sunglasses ( **Because we can't see his eyes :p)**

"Are you serious?!" The rookie attorney exclaimed in outrage. "I did not forge this report, nor will I ever do such a thing!"

"Then, where did you get this piece of evidence then?!" Gaspen was seriously grasping at straws, unable to accept his losses anymore. "If you can't prove it to us, then you will be charged for forgery of evidence right now!"

"Urgh!" Mithra recoiled in horror. He couldn't prove that, because he wasn't the one who obtain it. It was...

 _ **OBJECTION!**_

"Mr. Justice!"

"I've had enough of your games, Gaspen." Apollo muttered acidly surprising everyone, even Mithra who was shocked by his mentor's change in attitude. "To think that you would do such a petty trick to claim your victory. You are an absolutely petty trash which must be removed from this sacred hall!"

Gaspen was intimidated by Apollo's fury, but his own anger was blinding him. "Why you- who do you think you are?"

 ***BANG***

The sound of Apollo slamming his fists to the table was very loud, making everyone yelp in surprise. "Silence, fool! If you want to know who I am..." He showed his right palm which had the tattoo of the Defiant Dragons marked on it. "...I am a dragon. And a dragon never yields. Especially to someone like you!"

"Gah!" The prosecutor was honestly scared shitless of Apollo now, but he held his grounds, thinking that he has the upper hands. "Well then. Present to me proof where you retrieved that evi-OW!" A scroll was thrown at him courtesy of the furious lawyer. "What's this?"

"The proof that you wants."

Gaspen read the contents of the scroll, and became increasingly more pale as he continued. "You got approval from the Minister of Justice?! Impossible!"

"What?! You got approval from Minister Sahdmadhi himself?" The judge exclaimed.

'The Minister of Justice? How did Mr. Justice get approval from that high?!' Mithra thought flabbergasted.

"Of course. You can see them yourself, _Prosecutor._ " Apollo spat the word prosecutor like it was poison.

"Uhh, uhh, I-" The man stammered, unable to reply to the statement. How was he supposed to argue to this?!

"So, you said that you want to accuse my protege of forging evidence?!" Apollo gave a deadly glare at Gaspen, who gave a frightened squeak. "Well, I challenge you then. Charge the Minister of Justice with the same crime! I dare you!"

Gaspen finally couldn't take it anymore and took off from the courtroom, with his toupee left behind.

"Tch, coward." Apollo huffed angrily before realising his own audience who was shocked by his outburst. He simply gave a sheepish smile. "Uhhhh, surprise?"

The judge after having recovered from his shock continued his proceedings. "Ignoring that courtroom drama we experienced just now, accused?"

"Yes, Your Magistry?" Vokaru asked, standing at the witness stand.

"I offer my deepest condolence for your wife and an apology for having you involved in this mess. You are simply a man caught up in the sinister scheme of the others."

"It's alright, Your Magistry. I'm sure my dear Gita is smiling at us right now from the Twilight Realm. And while I still feel betrayed by Dur'am..." He looked down for a moment, shadowing his face, before he looked up again, showing his happy tears and a genuine smile. "..it's nothing compared to the happiness I felt from when I met my wife."

'Love, huh? Wish I could find that sometime.' He thought while unconsciously glancing at Rayfa, who had a smile gracing her face. 'Sigh, nothing more than a pipedream.'

"*sniff* That was beautiful *sniff*." The judge said while crying from the tearjerking moment. "With this *sniff*, I declare the accused, Vokaru Reist..."

 **NOT GUILTY**

From the Pool of Soul, a kaleidoscope of Khurain butterfly appeared and flew upwards, signifying the conclusion of the last rites for the deceased.

"The court is dismissed."

 ***BANG***

 _(Mithra 1st POV)_

 _14 December 2031, 12.18 am_

 _Accused Lobby, High Court of Khurain_

"Woohooo! MR, you did it! You won your first case!" Mr. Arebal cheered loudly. Well, I don't blame him. I'm pretty happy with the results myself.

"Well, I couldn't done it without your help or Mr. Justice." I would've quit from the start if it wasn't for them.

"Oh, don't sell yourself short, MR. You did great. In fact, you looked just like Dhurke just now when you screamed out our motto."

"Dhurke Sahdmadhi, huh? Guess it must be cool to be compared to the leader of the Defiant Dragons." I actually looked up to him. In fact, he was one of the reasons why I wanted to be a lawyer.

"Mr. Arebal's right, you know." A voice chimed in. I turned to see Vokaru standing with a smile.

"Oh, Mr. Reist. Congratulations for your acquittal, sir."

"Oh, please. I wouldn't have gotten if it wasn't for your effort, Mr. Ritabrata." Aww shucks. I really get flustered too easily.

"Well, what're you gonna do now? You know, since you're not originally from here and your wife is...you know." I didn't want to say it, since it might hurt his feelings again. But surprisingly, he was okay with it.

"It okay. I've gotten used to it." He said. "Well, I was planning on taking full citizenship here, to be honest."

"Really? You don't want to return back home?" I asked, confused.

The man simply gave me a smile and responded. "This is my home now. Where my wife is." Oh. I guess that makes sense. "Well, it seems that I will be going. I'll send my bill to you by tonight, Mr. Ritabrata." Well, uhh, I don't really mind getting paid, so that's cool. And right after that, Mr. Reist left the lobby. As a free man.

"So this is where you've been." A familiar voice said. When I turned back, it was Mr. Justice and...P-p-princess Rayfa?!

"Uh, uh, Y-your B-benevolence! What're you doing here?" And why is she talking to my boss here?!

"Horned Head brought me here. I wanted to congratulate you for the trial just now." She said with a smile that made me mush. To tell you the truth, I've always had a crush on the princess since I was a 12, but seeing as I'm just a no-name orphan, I buried it down instantly. But now she's talking to me and I'm probably blushing up a storm! "Uhmmm, Mr. Ritabrata?"

"Yes, Your Benevolence!" She called my name! And I just realised that she's right in front of me. As in, her face was very close to mine. I'm pretty sure she had to tiptoe to do that, seeing as I'm about 1.75m tall and she's probably almost a head shorter than me. Right now, she was staring at me with her deep green eyes. Her curious look made her look cute, really.

She was staring at me for quite a while before removing herself from my face. "Nothing. As I was saying, you did quite well just now for your trial."

"Uhm, well. I couldn't have done it without your help, Your Benevolence. And I'm grateful for that." I really was. She kinda appeared out of nowhere but she snapped me out of my funk. Without her help, I wouldn't have found out the truth.

"Nonsense. All I did was provide you with the proper motivation. It was only by your own effort that the truth was finally revealed." God, I must be going fifty shades of red now. "And to celebrate for your first victory in court, I would like to offer you an invitation for a dinner with my family tomorrow evening."

"...HUH?" Did I just misheard or something?

"I'm inviting you to eat dinner with my family. I'm sure you can comprehend simple English, right?" She offered. Now, at this point, my mind was blown away.

"You're inviting me, ME, to eat with the royal family tomorrow?

"Mmhmm."

"I'm sorry but I think I have to-" I was about to refuse but a sharp look from her made me reconsider. "I mean, it'd be a honor for me to accept your invitation, Your Benevolence."

"Very well. I will meet you again tomorrow. And please, just call me Rayfa."

"Uhh, but isn't that a little bit too-" She gave that look again which forced me to relent. "Very well, Princess Rayfa." I am not gonna call her just by her name. I mean, that's just...weird. I mean, it's nice and all, but she's a princess, and I'm just a normal civilian. It's just not right.

I can tell by her sigh that she was not satisfied with my alternative. "I guess that should suffice for now." She turned back to Mr. Justice and Mr. Arebal. "I will be leaving then. See you next time, Horned Head. And I hope that you've been behaving yourself, Mr. Arebal." Wow, I guess Mr. Arebal must have been real bad if even the princess know about him. But then again, he was a former rebel, and he was quite famous during the Ga'ran Regime. Mr. Arebal simply gave her a double thumbs up and his usual goofy smile.

When Princess Rayfa approached the door, she turned back one last time and stared at me again. My silver eyes met her emerald green. It was like some scene from a cliche romance novel, but my heart honestly stopped for a moment there. Then, she gave me a smile and exited the lobby, leaving me shocked at what just happened.

"So, you like the princess, eh MR?" Mr. Arebal approached me and teased me right off the bat.

"Uhh, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." That's what I said, but my red face wasn't convincing any of the two, from the grin plastered on their faces.

"Okay, that's enough, Datz." Mr. Justice saved me from further embarrassment. Thank goodness. "You can tease him later at the office..." Nevermind. "...but right now we should celebrate for Mithra's victory. So, how 'bout we grab some lunch on our way back? My treat.

"Really?" Mr. Justice never actually treated me, let alone the two of us. He must've been really happy with my victory.

"Of course. I mean, my protege won his first trial. I think that calls for some serious celebration."

"Whoopee. Way to go, MR!" Man, I'm feeling lucky to get people like this around me. I guess for once, Lady Luck was on my side.

"Well, I wanted to try this one restaurant for a while now, so how about we go there?"

I guess that's how I start my career as a defense attorney. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I know that, with the help of people around me, I can deal with any trial, no matter how hard it gets. After all, I'm the third generation of the legendary Phoenix Wright's technique and I have the creed of Dhurke Sahdmadhi inside me. I just knew it.

 _Court Records:_

 _Evidence:_

 **Author's Note: GAHHHH! Done! Flipping 12k+ people! Shit just got real for me. And I can't even split it off into two chapters. Anyway, that was the introduction of the main character, Mithra. Yeah, kinda bit of a wuss at first, but I'll flesh him out in future chapters. Just so you know, it's freaking damn hard to create a character that fits the AA-verse 'cause they're all nuts in every way, especially the goddamn witnesses! And here are the pun reference if you haven't realised it yet:-**

 **1)Mithra Ritabrata: Mithra is the Hindu God of Oath (hence the title) and something (lol I forgot xD), and since most of the main characters for AA has mythological creatures as their names, I figure why not. His surname is a name for Indians which means the 'seeker of truth' or something like that, and it fits him well with his career.**

 **2)Gita Reist: Guitarist. Get it? Ironic though since she's a singer and she died from a flipping guitar**

 **3)Vokaru Reist: Vocalist. Eyyyyy, okay I'll stop right there.**

 **4)Dur'am Perku'us: Dur'am obviously came from the word drums (duh). His surname cane from the word percussion which is the instrument type of drums.**

 **18/17: I just realised this chapter got so many mistakes, so I'm fixing as much as I can. My eyes are not perfect so I can't find everything, but I did my best.**

 **And yeah, I'm sure you got questions that want to be answered, so don't be afraid to give your review, and if you like my story, follow and fav it, please. It'll be damn cool for me and makes me happier, and who knows, might also make me update faster. See ya next time, readers.**

 **King of Blacks, signing out.**


	2. Night with the Royals

**Author's Notes: Sup, everyone! King of Blacks here back with another chapter of Oath of Khurain. Sorry 'bout the delay, but I had to focus on my other works and all, but all things vonsidered, I did this one as quickly as possible, as soon as I updated my other fanfic, so yeah. I'm not gonna going to talk much here, so let's just proceed with Chapter 2 of Oath of Khurain!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney and anything related to it. They are owned by Capcom.**

* * *

Oath of Khurain

Chapter 2: Night with the Royals

 _(Mithra 1st POV)_

 _15 December 2031, 6.48 pm_

 _Justice Law Office_

"Do I look good? Nothing wrong with my hair, right?" I've been asking Mr. Justice that question for probably a hundred times while I tidied myself up in preparations for the dinner which was happening in less than thirty minutes. I'm just wearing my usual work outfit (like Mr. Justice did), a black tuxedo with a few white accents around, but I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. I mean, a dinner with the royal family isn't really something I expected to happen to someone like me.

"Yes, you look fine Mithra. You don't need to fuss over yourself at the mirror for the tenth time." My boss answered with a sweatdrop.

"Hey, you can't blame me, right? I mean, I never expected to eat alongside Princess Rayfa and her family."

"Well, it was Rayfa who requested it anyway." Mr. Justice said, which surprised me with how he referred to Princess Rayfa so informally.

"Mr. Justice. How did you get so acquainted with the royal family?" Truthfully, I never asked him any questions regarding himself in my three years of studying under him. But now that I've been exposed to such things, I couldn't help but feel curious. It's just a part of being a lawyer, I guess.

"Wait, so you don't really know?" He had a look of surprise, to which I shook my head at his question, because I really have no idea. "Well, I was the adopted son of Dhurke."

"Ohh, ok...WAIT WHAT?!" He was the son of DHURKE SAHDMADHI?! How did I not know this?!

"Yeah. I thought everyone knew about this. And why do you think I took over this office anyway?" Seriously?! How did I not realised this like, three years earlier? "Well, I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Anyway, we should go. We wouldn't want to disappoint Rayfa now."

"Oh, right." It would rude to let the royalty wait for us, after all. And so, we left the office, leaving Mr. Arebal behind to hold down the fort. Mr. Justice said that he was too uncontrollable to be taken to the palace and after seeing him personally in action, I think he might be right.

* * *

 _15 December 2031, 7.13 pm_

 _Courtyard, Royal Palace_

As soon as we arrived at the palace, we were immediately greeted by the royal servants, lining up and bowing lowly. I couldn't help but feel honored at the treatment I'm receiving.

"Welcome, Mr. Justice and Mr. Ritabrata. Her Benevolence has been expecting your arrival." Wow, I'm flattered. I had imagined some sort of special treatment from the royal family, but I never expected it to happen at all!

Once we entered the hall, I couldn't help but marvel at the room. Long hallway with high-quality carpets gracing our pillars with decorated with jade ornaments. Every sides of the room was filled with golden statues of every important figure in Khurainism, although mostly of the Holy Mother. The walls were covered in pictures of every queens before this, including the previous one, Ga'ran. Seriously something out of a fairy tale for me.

"Hey, c'mon Mithra." Mr. Justice called out, interrupting my sightseeing. "You can look impressed after the dinner. We don't want to make Her Benevolence wait, do we?" Funny, just now at the office, he referred to Princess Rayfa so informally, yet now he's calling her with her title again. I guess he's trying to put up an image in the public. Nonetheless, I followed him om our way to meet Her Benevolence.

And there she was, at the end of the hall, draped in a pink ceremonial robe, looking as elegant as ever. I also noticed two other people besides her. The first one, also in a similar clothing except with a magenta colour and having albino hair, was Her Mercifulness, Amara Sigatar Khurain, the former queen of Khurain before Ga'ran. The other one, a male in an all-white clothing except for the signature Armlet of Justice, was the Minister of Justice himself, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, a former prosecutor and Princess Rayfa's older brother.

"There you are. I was wondering if you two would actually arrive." Princess Rayfa greeted us.

"We got held up a bit. Mithra was taking too long fussing over the mirror."

"Hey, you don't have to tell them about that!" I whispered harshly to my boss. Seriously, does he have to embarrass me like that?!

Fortunately, Her Mercifulness simply let out a small laugh. "Hohoho. Do not worry, Mr. Ritabrata. You are not the only one having the same problem." Really? "My daughter here also spent almost an hour trying to make herself as perfect as possible. I think she's doing it to impress someone here." The way her eyes glinted at me made me flushed. You could guess what she implied from her statement.

"Mother! I told you not to discuss that matter anymore." She cried out in a flustered tone. It seems that I wasn't the only one getting the short end of the stick. Geez, what's with adults and teasing the young ones anyway? Fortunately, Minister Sahdmadhi was here to settle things down.

"Now, I believe that is enough humor for today. We still have our dinner waiting for us." He said. Right after that, we all moved on towards the dinner hall. My boss was busy talking with the minister and Her Mercifulness, leaving me with Princess Rayfa. Things couldn't have gone more awkward from here.

"So...how has your day been, Mr. Ritabrata?" She asked cordially, trying to break the tension between the two of us.

"Well, it's been fine I guess." I replied, trying to atleast start a normal conversation with her. "Just finished filing the report for the last trial. How about yours?"

"I see. And mine has been splendid, thank you for asking. I was just preparing for my coronation for next week." Oh, right. The coronation.

"It's during your birthday, right?"

"Yes. On that day, I will turn 18 and I can officially rule Khurain as the new queen." She said with an excited look. It seems that she couldn't wait for the moment to arrive.

"You've been waiting for that moment, have you?" I asked.

"Of course. I've been preparing my whole life for the opportunity to bring Khurain back to its glorious days. Just like my mother." She then gave an nervous expression. "I just hope that I can live up to the people's expectation..."

I couldn't bear to see her like that, so I quickly replied. "Of course you can!" Everyone turned to me after my outburst, and I quickly became flustered. I didn't realise that I was being too loud. "Sorry..."

Right on time, to save me from my embarrassment, we finally arrived at the dining hall, and it was just as impressive as the room before. The table wasn't as long like the ones on movies, but it was still quite big, and it was literally full of dishes waiting to be eaten. I had to hold back the urge to drool at the wonderful sight.

"Wow."

"Impressed?" The princess seemed amused by my awed look, as I nodded dumbly.

We immediately got ourselves seated. Just before we started eating, we gave a prayer to the Holy Mother.

"Oh Holy Mother, your humble servants thank you for this gracious blessings you've granted us. We can only hope to return your kind favor with our devotion. Amen." Right after that, Her Mercifulness gave us her blessings to start eating. Well, more like mine since I looked nervous and all. Mr. Justice looked like he was at home, with his relaxed attitude with the royal family. Then again, seeing as he was the adopted son of Dhurke Sahdmadhi, I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

The table was silent as we ate our foods. It felt kinda awkward, to be honest. In the end, it was Her Mercifulness who broke the tension.

"So...Mithra, was it?" She asked me. I simply nodded, too nervous to even speak. "I've heard of your exploits from Apollo and more recently, Rayfa. Is it true that you just won your first trial yesterday?"

"Y-yes, Your Mercifulness." Argh, curse my lack of confidence outside of a trial.

"Certainly impressive. You have gotten quite the apprentice, Apollo." I blushed again for like the third time in less than a thirty minutes. I must be making a fool out of myself here.

"I-it's nothing, really. I wouldn't have won the case if it wasn't for Princess Rayfa and Mr. Justice himself. They actually encouraged me to keep moving forward."

The princess simply scoffed. "Again with your humble thoughts. Your victory was solely by your own effort. I was only there to ensure that you obtain it."

"T-that's not true! I would've given up at that point if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have even come close to finding the truth without your help." I know I shouldn't get too worked up on this, but I really felt that I should get my opinion across. "I was inexperienced and I still am, yet you had that much faith in me. I'm...truly grateful for your action. So..." I stood up and gave a deep bow to her. "...Thank you...Rayfa."

The room was silent, and Princess Rayfa looked really shocked, although she had a blush on her face for some reason. Then I realised what I just called her just now, and I immediately blushed. Again.

"Hohoho. It's certainly refreshing to watch the two of you getting along so well." Her Mercifulness interjected with a haughty laugh. "Maybe the two of you should talk some more outside. Let the adults have their own conversation, would you?"

The two of us blinked in confusion, before Princess Rayfa gave a sigh and stood up. "Very well. If that is your wish, Mother." She the turned her attention to me. "Mr. Ritabrata, perhaps you'd enjoy a tour around the palace?"

"Uh, o-of course. I would love to." I was a little bit surprised by her offer, but I quickly complied, seeing as the adults wanted some private time...hey I'm also an adult! Why do they get to have to single me out with the princess? Argh, whatever. I simply obeyed and followed Princess Rayfa as she gave me a tour around the palace.

* * *

 _(Rayfa 1st POV)_

Mithra Ritabrata.

I haven't the slightest idea why, but when I first saw him, I was immediately intrigued. Perhaps it was because of his appearance. His looks was certainly adequate for a civilian. His long, unkempt hair reminded me of my late father, Dhurke who was also an attorney. And his boyish face might not give off the mature look, it was his silver eyes that probably lured me in. And although he took on a career as a lawyer, he certainly is quite shy and humble, which I suppose only made him look even more...attractive. Well, perhaps it was also because he was almost the same age as me, making me feel the need to befriend him.

"Ummm, Princess Rayfa?" I was jolted out of my thoughts by Mr. Ritabrata who looked at me with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, of course. I was simply...spacing out just now." I couldn't just tell him that I was thinking about him, could I? "Now, come along. I shall show you the royal residence after this. And please, just call me Rayfa."

"I'm sorry, but isn't it inappropriate for me to just call you by your name?" He asked with a nervous expression. "I mean, you're gonna be queen in less than a few weeks and I'm just a lowly civilian."

Again, his humble nature frustrates me and made me sigh dreamily at the same time. Curse him! "Of course not! It won't be inappropriate as long as I grant you permission to do so. And you are far from a 'lowly civilian'." He looked at me confused as I continued. "You're a defender of justice and the seeker of truth, are you not?"

"Uhhh, yes. But-"

"Ahp, ahp, ahp. That's enough. I will not allow you to depreciate yourself any further." I held up an arm as he was about to protest. "You are a man who stood up for justice and truth. That alone should prove that you are more than worthy to walk alongside me." He suddenly blushed, and I was confused. Then, I realised the implications of my statement, a hot flush rising through my cheeks again. "N-n-not in t-that way! I-I meant that you shouldn't have to act so formal with me all the time!"

"O-oh."

The surrounding turned silent as our embarrassment held our tongues from speaking. After a few seconds, Mithra spoke up, a shy smile gracing his face. "Well, I guess we should continue our tour then...Rayfa?"

My head lit up as he said my name with no 'Princess' title attached. For some reason, my face warmed up, just like at the dinner hall before. But then, I realised his question. "Oh, uhh, of course. Let us continue on from where we were. Now, this hallway is where..."

I brought Mithra all around the castle, showing him many beautiful sections of it. His awed expression as he looked at them was certainly amusing and I couldn't help but giggle everytime I saw it. Of course, he would later become flustered or looked bashful or sometimes even both.

"And for the last part of our tour, will be the royal residence." I gestured my arm at the area, and he looked amazed by the sights. "This is where my family lives. We each have our own residence." I pointed to the small red one. "That one belongs to my brother, Minister Sahdmadhi. He is quite reserved, so he only requested for the smaller one. That one belongs to my mother." I pointed to the blue building across from Big Brother's room. "It used to be mine until I was appointed as the Queen-to-be."

"So where do you live?" He asked curiously. I was a little bit hesitant on showing, but I eventually showed him.

"It's...that one." I pointed towards my residence and his face was certainly priceless, and I cannot blame him. After all, it was quite luxurious. To be honest, even I sometimes felt inadequate with my own room.

"That's...where you lived?" He asked with wide eyes, and I simply nodded. "But, but...that's like ten times bigger than my house!"

"Well, it's a tradition for the queen to live in that building, so ever since I was appointed three years ago, I was moved there as preparation for when I officially ruled the country."

"It must've been quite a hassle. I mean, that place is big. Surely you have gotten lost a couple of times?"

I immediately looked sheepish. "Well, I actually did. When I first moved into it. It took me a while to memorised the rooms. It was quite an embarrasing moment, to say the least." Mithra gave off a laugh, and I pouted at him. "Hey, stop that! It is not funny at all!"

"I-I'm sorry. I-I couldn't help it." He said in between laughs. I huffed in annoyance. Seriously, the nerve of this man! When he was done, he continued. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't imagine a person like you getting embarrassed about something like this."

"W-well. O-of course I would get embarrassed. Idiot!" Hmph, how dare he makes fun of me.

He must have realised his own mistake and decided to apologise. "N-no, I never meant any offence. I-I was just, ummm surprised, that's all. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Rayfa!"

"Well, I guess I'll forgive you." He looked really sincere with his apology. "Just don't make the same mistake again." I send him a glare as a warning to which he nodded.

Mithra then tried to change the subject. "Uhmm, If I may ask, what is that building over there?" He pointed towards the one at the end, isolated from the rest.

"Oh, that's supposed to be the grave for Mother, where her home used to be twenty-six years ago. But after it was revealed that she is still alive, it became a grave for my father, instead." Just seeing that building reminded me of that trial three years ago. Of my old self when I was controlled by my aunt.

"Wow." His silver eyes lit up at the mention of my father. Perhaps he idolised my father?

"Mithra." I called him.

"Yes?"

"I am curious. What is your reason for being a lawyer?" His body immediately stiffen up, and I became nervous. Did I struck a chord in his nerves? "Is something wrong?"

"No. It's just...what you asked. It brought back some bad memories." He replied solemnly.

Oh. I guess I shouldn't have asked. "You don't have to answer if you want to. I was just curious."

"No, it's only right to answer. And besides, I have to...I have to let things go and move on from my past." His voice seemed weak, and that made me realise how much he was actually hurting on the inside.

After a few moments of silence, he took a deep breath and began his explanation. "Well, the biggest reason for me to be a lawyer was because of parents. My father was a former defense attorney. He wasn't well known like Mr. Justice or your father, but he always fought for what was right. He never stopped his practice even after the DCA, and he even supported the Defiant Dragons, although he never joined it for fear of his family getting in danger." He had a excited glint on his eyes as he described his father. He sound like an amazing person. "And my mother was a simple vendor. She was kind and caring. She always greeted the neighbors with a smile even though they scorned her for being married to a 'sinner'. She never cared about other's opinion, only those that she cared and loved."

I could not help but smile as he told the story about his parents. He must've lived a happy life. "You really loved them, don't you?"

He chuckled while wiping a stray tear from his eyes. "Of course. They were the best parents a child would've wanted. My father taught me to always fight for the weak and that truth and justice should always be prevailed over all else. My mother taught me to be kind to others, even when they had done something wrong to you. To always look past a person's action and to forgive them. They were the nicest person I've ever known." Then his voice turned sullen. "They never deserves what happened to them."

I finally realised what was happening. "You don't have to continue-"

"No, it's okay. I need to do this." His voice was cracking and tears were starting to fall, but he put up a brave face. "Well, it was during a weekend seven years ago. I was playing outside the house that time, so I never knew what truly happened. But when I returned home, the police was there, and the neighbors were whispering loudly with each other. When I entered the room, what I saw probably scarred me for life." Mithra was visibly holding back tears. "My mother. Lying on the floor, covered in blood. Dead."

I stood there, horrified and saddened by his story. To watch his own mother murdered was something a child should never have to experience. "What about your father?"

"...Even worse. When I asked who killed my mother, the police said it was him. My own father."

"...What? How is that possible?"

"I don't know. But I know it wasn't possible. My father would never do such a thing. He loved mother so much." Mithra was clenching his fists so hard. In reflex, my hand reached out to him and tried to comfort him. When he was calmer, he continued. "My father kept denying that he killed my mother, and I know he wasn't lying, but they'd never listen. All they said was 'only a heathen like him would be capable of such an act.' Everyone at the scene threw insults at him. Some even went as far as to throw stones at him."

I looked down in shame remembering the times when I myself believed such a thing. I still regretted it to this day. "Wait, surely the trial would've proved his innocence!"

Mithra shook his head mournfully. "It didn't. But...I'm sure you knew how the trial went. After all...you were the one performing the Divination Seance."

What? I did? But when? I never remembered- No...

"You mean...?"

"Yes...it was during your first trial as the priestess. Your Seance was the noose that killed my father." Mithra looked at me not with a cold glare (which I had expected to), but simply one that held grief and sadness.

I was reminded of that day. Mothe- Ga'ran requested that I performed the Divination Seance for the trial as to gain experience as the Royal Priestess. That time, the accused took up the defense for himself, but my Seance quickly struck him down. With the lack of evidence to support his arguments, as he claimed that someone else killed his wife, he was immediately announced guilty. When the judge announced his decision, there was a child who kept protesting his father's innocence. I remembered his silver eyes filled with tears as his father was cuffed and sent to the gallows. Initially, I felt remorse for that trial, but Ga'ran quickly put it down saying that 'the man was a sinner and he deserved his punishment. The child was simply too foolish to accept the truth.' And like a fool, I clung on to those words like my life depended on it.

"So that child...was you? All this time?" I asked with remorsefully. He simply nodded. Tears began to flow as my guilt became increasingly worse. "I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry."

"No...it's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"What do you mean it's not my fault?!" I cried in anguish. "I was the one who killed your father. Without a second thought, I killed an innocent man, and destroyed his son's life! How could you not be angry at me?!" I was confused on why he wasn't showing any form of hatred towards me. "You should hate me! You should've despised me! Why aren't you angry at all?!"

"Because what good would that do?" He asked, making me look at him confused. "Being angry at you will never bring back my parents. Yes, they never deserved the things that happened to them, but they'll surely be disappointed in me if I spent the rest of my life resenting people for what they could've done. They taught me better than that."

How could this man be so forgiving? Surely he must have some resentment against me. "I still shouldn't have been so easily controlled like that. I should've seen the truth. But I-"

"You couldn't have known. You were simply doing your duty as the Royal Priestess." He actually tried to comfort me. He tried to make me feel better.

"But that's not my duty! My duty is to protect the wellbeing of the citizens of Khurain. But what I did this whole time was nothing more than a desecration to my own role as a Royal Priestess! I never truly deserved the role, nor am I worthy as a queen."

"Of course you are! You cared for the people! You prioritise our own safety and wellbeing over yours. And the people loved you! If that doesn't imply that you're a good queen, then nothing else will." He said with a passionate look that I couldn't help but be amazed by. This man..

"I-I..." Mithra interrupted me by grabbing my hands, inciting a blush from me.

"Rayfa, you shouldn't have to live up to other's expectation. The opinion of others are just that. Opinions. What should really matter is what you think is the right path. If you do just that, I'm sure you can be the best Queen of Khurain. Just like your mother." His face turned solemn once again. "That's why I became a defense attorney. Not to follow the footsteps of my father, but to do what is right. I became a lawyer so that no other children will ever experience what I experienced. So that no one else can ever get wrongfully accused anymore. So that the justice can finally be upheld and the people can live in prosperity."

I was left speechless after that. Everyone around me have placed their expectations on me when I became queen, and it made me feel pressured. I always felt like I was chosen merely because I was the only choice the people had and that they expected me to rule like my mother had. But he...he made feel like I was...special. And even after his own hardships, he still persevered to his own goals, not for his own, but for others. Even after what I had done to him, he still...

The two of us did nothing for the last few minutes but staring at each other while holding hands together (well, he grabbed my hands first). His silver eyes felt like an abyss, dragging you deep down for eternity. It felt...comforting.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. Mithra realised his own actions and let my hands go, the warm feeling from his hands now gone. The two of us looked away from each other, too embarrassed by what just happened. It certainly became awkward here.

"Uhhhh..." I tried to break the tension. Mithra looked back at me shyly. "...maybe we should return. The other are surely waiting for us."

"Oh, yeah. O-of course." He replied hastily. And soon, we walked back towards the hall, with the memory of the event forever etched in our minds. And I...was actually quite happy about it.

* * *

 _(Mithra 1st POV)_

I never even realised we talked for so long, because when I checked my watch, it was close to 9.30 pm. Man, time really flies. After that awkward moment with Rayfa, we simply walked together in silence, although I couldn't help but smile at what happened just now.

"There you are!" I heard Mr. Justice call out. "I was wondering where you two went."

"Sorry, Mr. Justice. We got caught up in our conversation just now." I tried to apologise.

"Well, the two of you certainly took your time." Minister Sahdmadhi commented with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you weren't doing anything...risque?"

"W-w-what?!" Me and Rayfa exclaimed. "N-no, of course not!" Why would he say that? Me and Rayfa just met. And there's no way we would do something like that!

"Y-you, B-braidhead!" Rayfa stammered with a blush. "What in the world is wrong with you?! I would never do such a thing! It's f-forbidden to be intimate with someone before marriage, you...you nincompoop!"

...Nincompoop?

Minister Sahdmadhi wasn't really fazed with her insults however. "Yes, I am aware of the fact, being a trained acolyte of the temple. But I am also aware that the two of you are teenagers whose hormones can be quite uncontrollable especially when alone with the opposite sex. Am I not wrong?"

If anything, our faces became even redder. "Y-y-yes, that's true. But that doesn't mean that I would go so far as to, to..." It looks like Rayfa was too embarrassed to say the word. Maybe she is a little bit too innocent?

"To be intimate?" I whispered a suggestion.

"Yes! To be intimate with Mithra! It's simply too early for both of us!"

...

...

...

"Ummm, Rayfa?" I called her with a blush on my face

"Yes, Mithra? What's the matter?"

"...Don't you realised what you just implied from your statement just now?"

She looked confused for a while, until she saw the amused looks from Mr. Justice and Her Mercifulness, and the raised eyebrow from the minister. Her mind finally clicked on what she just said, and she immediately burned up, steams coming out of her ears.

"No! T-that's not what I meant! I was trying to say is that Mithra and I won't be doing anything intimate at all! Because we're not together or in any relationship whatsoever. That would be completely ridiculous!" Then she turned to me in panic, afraid that she hurt my feelings (which she isn't, really. I myself was flustered right now). "N-not that I'm saying you're not attractive, because you are! It's just that we only met yesterday. It would be too soon for us to be intimate in any form whatsoever. And I-"

"Okay, Rayfa. I think that's enough rambling from you." Mr. Justice stopped her from embarrassing herself any further, although he still had that amused smirk on his face. "I'm afraid Mithra and I will have to leave soon. The office wouldn't last long with Datz in charge."

"I concur. Mr. Arebal is too wild of a man to be left in charge of an office, especially one owned by Father. I couldn't imagine what damage he could cause as we speak." After listening to Minister Sahdmadhi, I actually became worried for the office. What chaos could Mr. Arebal cause incite in less than three hours? Well, actually it might be possible.

"Well, you are always welcomed at the palace anytime, Apollo. And you too, Mithra. Please don't be so shy with us."

"It's an honor to have a dinner with you, Your Mercifulness." I said while giving off a deep bow.

"No, it's an honor to meet you. It's quite rare seeing my daughter acting like this. And please, just call me Amara, or Mother if what Rayfa said is true." She said with amused smile.

"Mother!" We both blushed at her statement. "Stop embarrassing me!"

Well, as we reached the entrance of the palace, we bid farewell to the royal family before exiting the palace. Just then, I felt a tug on my sleeve. When I looked, I was surprised.

"Rayfa?" I breathed out at seeing her, tugging my sleeve, looking down the floor with a light blush. "What is it?"

"I'm just curious. Can we...can we talk again some other time?" She asked with a small voice.

Oh.

"Ummmm, you mean...like just now?"

"...yes. Just like before."

I was nervous, and I wasn't really sure on what to say but I tried answering as best as I could.

"Maybe...I can join Mr. Justice everytime we go on dinner here?" She immediately lit up as I spoke. "Since he usually go here on a weekly basis, maybe I can ask him to bring me along and then we can hang out with each other. As a friend of course."

Rayfa seemed to be considering my suggestion, before a smile graced her face.

"Well, I shall accept your offer." She said in a regal tone, before giving me a sharp look. "But you had better not break your promise."

I simply nodded and gave my reply. "Of course I won't." The two of us smiled at each other, happy with what happened with the two of us.

"Hey, Mithra! Quit talking to your girlfriend and let's get back home!"

Urgh. Stupid boss.

Rayfa, who had her cheeks flushed gestured me to go. Of course, I simply nodded and joined up with Mr. Justice had a grin on his face.

"You can have fun with your girlfriend next time. But first, we have to make sure Datz doesn't mess anything up in the office." He said teasingly.

"Well, Rayfa is not my girlfriend, sir. We're simply friends. That's all." For now, or ever. "And besides, stop messing with my love life, Mr. Justice and think about your own." I didn't mean to be harsh with him, but I was just annoyed with his teasing right now.

I must've hurt his feelings when he flinched and slumped. "Ah, I'm sorry, Mr. Justice! I didn't meant to-"

"Nah, it's fine Mithra. You got a point anyway. Better focus on mine than someone else." He might have dismissed it, but he still looked hurt from my words, and I couldn't help but feel guilty. We spent the rest of the journey in silence, with Mr. Justice too caught up in his thoughts.

* * *

 _(Apollo 1st POV)_

 _15 December 2031, 10.25 pm_

 _Justice and Co. Law Office_

"You really couldn't resist it, can you Datz?" I sighed in annoyance as I watched the mess that is our office now.

All around the room, there were warba'ads everywhere. How he got it and how he brought them here, I'm not even going to ask for fear of my sanity. And the culprit just stood there grinning like an idiot, looking innocent and all.

"Hey, you don't have to look get all riled up, AJ. I was just ruffling your feathers. Get it?" He even had the decency to make a pun out of this. Man, I understand your pain now, Trucy.

I turned back to Mithra who was watching the birds gapingly.

"Mithra, I think you should leave. I'll clean this one up with Datz."

"B-but sir. Shouldn't I-"

"It's okay. We got this." I reassured him. "Besides, the responsibilty falls on to Datz and not you. So I think you should just go home and rest."

The teen looked like he wanted to protest, but he soon saw the merits and agreed.

As soon as he left, Datz put up a serious face. "Ok AJ, spill. What's going inside your big head right now?"

"Huh?"

"I know that face, AJ. That's your 'I'm worried sick' face. Something must've happened at the dinner. So tell me, what is it?" Damn, I knew Datz would see right through me. He can be quite observant at times.

I went and took a seat at my worktable, while gesturing him to sit. "It's what we talked about during the dinner. They told me about..."

 **(Flashback: Few hours ago)**

 _Me, Nahyuta and Amara remained at the dinner hall while Mithra and Rayfa went off doing their own business._

 _"I've heard about your outburst in the court yesterday, Apollo." Nahyuta said as he ate his foods slowly._

 _"Of course you did. And I will not apologise to Payne for what happened." I snapped back in distaste, remembering the events that transpired._

 _"And I was not expecting you to. If anything, I would have done the same thing had I been there." Ha, Nahyuta would've strangled that old crock with his beads had he been there. "I still can't believe a man such as him exists and works as a fellow prosecutor."_

 _"Man will always be like that. We are a naturally greedy race. We will always crave something, whether it be good or bad." Amara commented from the sidelines. "Speaking of which. Apollo?"_

 _"Yes?" I loooked at her, confused on why she had a serious expression._

 _"I must ask. Why have you not return back to the States yet?"_

 _Oh._

 _"I-I, uh..."_

 _"Yes, Apollo. It has confused me thus far on this matter. Even Detective Skye already went back home. Why haven't you? May I know the reason as well?"_

 _I clenched my fists in frustration. I never really knew the answer to that. Why haven't I gone back home after three years?_

 _"I, uh, I'm still needed here. There is still a lot to be fixed in Khurain. I can't just return back home knowing that-" I tried to make an excuse but Nahyuta cut me off sharply._

 _"No, that is not true. Everything here is already under control. If anything happens here, Mother and I can help Rayfa to handle it. And there is no more shortages of lawyers, thanks to you reviving the practice back full circle." His eyes were sharp as he glared at me. "So, as far as I am concerned, you have no reason to remain here, Apollo. So why did you?"_

 _"I can't, Nahyuta. Who's going to handle the office if I leave? You know that Datz doesn't have any interests nor the aptitude to be a lawyer."_

 _"Is that what you were worried about? Isn't that the reason why you took young Mithra under you wings?" Amara joined in on our discussion. "And I'm sure Dhurke wouldn't mind if you leave his office empty for a while."_

 _"I-I, uh..."_

 _"Apollo." Nahyuta's voice resounded through the hall, making everyone else silent. "I know that you came here to help rebuild Khurain and all of us owe you our sincerest gratitude for that. Without you, we would never have gotten this far. You have helped everyone in Khurain by bringing Ga'ran down the throne. You helped Dhurke by realising his dreams of a peaceful revolution. You helped me, Mother and even Rayfa by releasing us from the chains that Ga'ran placed on us years ago. You have done nothing but helped us this past three years. And now, I asked that you think about yourself for once."_

 _"What do you mean?" I was confused by his words._

 _"What I meant was, I want you to find your own happiness."_

 _"But I am happy here."_

 _"Yes, but your true happiness lies in the States. With_ _ **her**_ _."_

 _I immediately flinched as he mentioned_ _ **her**_ _._

 _"Do you not miss her, Apollo? I have seen you with her, and you were truly happiest during your moments with her. So I must ask you, Apollo Justice. Do you not miss Athena Cykes?"_

 _The room was filled with silence as his questions rang on my head._

 _Athena._

 _My coworker and junior for one year in the Wright Anything Agency. She only recently joined the agency, having been recruited by Mr. Wright himself. At the age of eighteen when she joined, she hasn't got much experience, having only two cases under her belt, but she is always up and ready to help uphold justice with a cheerful smile and an upbeat personality. I've been by her side most of the times, helping her through her cases, and sometimes the other way round...and after the times I spent with her, I've fallen in love for her. And I know, deep inside me, that she felt the same for me._

 _But does she now? Doubt it. I basically abandoned her. I saw her expression when I made the decision to stay - hurt, betrayed, sad and even anger. I can see it from her eyes, and it pained me even more, as I stood by my decision. I had the opportunity to be something more than friends with her, but I blew it when I left her to the dust._

 _"Apollo?" Nahyuta's voice snapped me out of my anguish thoughts._

 _"...Of course I missed her." That wasn't a lie. I really do miss her. "I've always thought of her every day and night. Thinking if she's okay working on her own with Mr. Wright. Wondering how if she will change when I returned. If she will accept me with open arms when she saw me for the first time after three years."_

 _"Then why didn't you leave?" Nahyuta shot me a glare to which I returned._

 _"Because I'm scared!" I cried out, surprising the two of them. "I'm scared that if I returned back to the States, the first thing I see is her in another man's arms. That when I returned back, she will scorn me for leaving her alone for three years, and I did! I basically abandoned her! And don't get me started on Trucy, who I've treated like my sister! She needed me as her support and I left her! The two important person in my life and I abandoned them! What would you feel?!"_

 _"Apollo, I understand your feeling." Amara intervened, her voice soothingly calm. "Fear is a normal emotion in every person. Everyone here has experienced it. Even I do. But if we let fear control us, we will only get ourselves lost in our own delusions." She gave me a motherly look which calmed me for some reason. "Apollo, you have to return back to the States. If not for you, then for these two people that you care for. Love is not something that you can simply throw away. No matter how far the distance are, true love will never fade."_

 _I simply remained quiet after Amara's speech, as I tried to take in her advice. Soon, we resumed eating our dinner while waiting for Mithra and Rayfa to return._

 **(Flashback Ends)**

I covered my face in my hands as I finished telling my story to Datz. My head was still too distracted to even make a decision.

"They're right, you know." Datz immediately spoke as I stared at him. "You should get back to the States. Your home is there now, not in Khurain."

"But I was raised here! I can't just-" I tried to argue, but Datz cut me off.

"Yes, you were raised as a kid here, AJ. But you've lived your whole life in the States. You became a lawyer there, AJ. Don't even deny it. Your real home is back there with PW and the missus waiting for ya."

"But what about the office? Who's gonna take care of it once I return back home?! You know you can't be a lawyer. You tried!"

"Did you forget about MR? He can be your replacement. The kid surely can handle the job. He's got spunk like you and Dhurke." He made a good point there, but I'm still not convinced.

"No, he's still too inexperienced. Mr. Wright's mentor may have left the office to him when she died, but he was twenty-six that time, practically an adult. Mithra's too young to be given this big of a responsibility. He'll break before things even started."

Datz scoffed. "You're giving the kid too little credit, AJ. Just let him take a few cases, and he'll be as good as a pro. Trust me."

I sighed in defeat. Perhaps he had a point. I really need to get back home. If not for me, then for Athena and Trucy. But not now. I'll decide on the time. "I'll think about it, Datz. Just take out the birds first." I plopped my head to my desk and groaned in frustration.

"Fine, sure AJ. Take your time." He then left the room, leaving me alone to ponder my thoughts. I recalled again my conversation with Amara and Nahyuta, and I was reminded again of Athena.

Not knowing what to do, I decided to remove the warba'ads out of my office. As I did the task, I stumbled upon a picture lying on the ground. When I looked at it, my heart immediately throbbed, and tears threatened to fall.

It was picture of Athena and I taken in a restaurant after the launch of HAT-3 to the space. Everyone from the agency, including Pearl and Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth had a celebration dinner for the success of the trial. When the picture was taken, the two of us were embracing one another while staring at each other fondly. It really brought me back to my days working at the Wright Anything Agency.

"Fuck..." I can't help but curse myself for my own stupidity. "I miss you, Athena. I really do."

* * *

 **Author's Notes: Annnnnd Done! Whew, that was a rush. Though, I'll do admit that I think I did a pretty decent job considering the rush and everything. Anyway, what do you guys think? Did I potray the characters well? Did I make Mithra and Rayfa's interactions nicely? Was Mithra's character up to your standards? I'll admit, Mithra isn't the kind of guy I am, really being kindhearted and all. I mean, he even forgave Rayfa after she practically sentenced his dad to death? Damn, that takes skills, you know! And poor Apollo, having to suffer in Khurain not seeing Athena and all. In case you guys didn't know, I'm a BIG Justicykes fan! Can never get enough of them! Which brings me to my next point.**

 **I will be writing a Justicykes fanfic along with Oath of Khurain (and my other works as well), but not until this one reaches a certain point in the story, 'cause it'll be related and all and I don't wanna spoil you guys and shit. So, just be patient there you people. I'm also bursting in anticipation just to get to that point myself.**

 **Anyway, rambled long enough. If you guys liked this chapter (and hopefully you will), please click the follow and favorite button, and please don't forget to leave a reviews as well. Reviews are what make writers have the passion to write, so keep reviewing. Alright, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**

 **King of Blacks, signing out.**


	3. Deceitful Turnabout: Prologue

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! King of Blacks here, with another chapter of Oath of Khurain. I'm currently having my mid-semester break right now (although I'm still having classes T.T . Damn teachers), so I tried to spend most of my time on my fanfics. Keyword being tried. Reason being, I got addicted to this one game and I just can't stop playing it without going through some sort of withdrawal XD. But I digress, at the very least I got this one done.**

 **So, without further ado, this is Chapter 3 of Oath of Khurain.**

* * *

Oath of Khurain

Chapter 3: Deceitful Turnabout: Prologue

(Unknown 3rd POV)

 _?, ?_

 _?_

Inside a dark room, a figure sat on a couch intently watching the television. He was watching the international news with a scowl on his face. He/she never liked what the news showed anyway.

"The world has become too complacent during these peaceful times." The figure said. "All the nations have become too weak with no wars and chaos to worry about. The people became too caught up in their own politics and greed to understand the true wonders of life."

To him/her, war is the only way to make humanity evolve to become a better race. As the figure continue watching the television, he came across a news report of Khurain, and instantly an idea was formed inside his/her mind, and malicious grin soon etched his/her face.

"I shall show these people the true meaning of life."

* * *

(Mithra 1st POV)

 _23 December 2031, 9.15 pm_

 _Residence, Royal Palace_

"And, and, I don't know how but he somehow brought in a flock of warba'ads into the office." I told Rayfa while snickering loudly. It has been a week after my last conversation with Rayfa and I managed to fulfill my promise when Mr. Justice brought me to the palace again for another dinner. She looked so ecstatic when she saw me, and I also felt the same to be honest.

Speaking of which, right now she was giggling after I told her the story of what happened in the office the other day.

"Well, I see Mr. Arebal has remained the person he is from a few years ago." She was obviously holding back a snort.

"If only you'd seen Mr. Justice's expression." I added. It's funny that the two of us became so close only after meeting each other three times. I guess it's because of our close age that made us relatable to one another.

"I can only imagine." The two of us couldn't stop laughing at that point, and it took us a couple of minutes to calm down. Right after that, Rayfa then made a thoughtful expression. "You know, do you think I should place a restraining order on him when I became queen?" She asked curiously.

I immediately waved my arm in response. "No, no, no. You don't need to." Mr. Arebal may be annoying at times, but surely he doesn't need to have a restraining order placed on him. "I'm pretty sure he won't go too overboard with you as the queen."

"I sure hope so." She mumbled out. I was worried she'd get sad so I tried to keep her talking.

"So, how's the preparations been going? Is it going fine?" I asked. Admittedly, I was also curious with the ceremony.

Rayfa seemed to lit up in excitement at my question. "Oh, it's been splendid! I've been making sure that everything is working perfectly and the guards have been posted all over the place for security. I'm really excited for tomorrow!"

I couldn't help but smile looking at her anticipation. "By the way, what are you going to do in the ceremony anyway? Is it just like you being given the crown or something?"

"Oh, no. It's more than just that. First off, I have to receive my blessings by praying for the Holy Mother at the Sacred Hall for three hours straight." She explained. "Then, I will have to bathe myself in the Pools of Soul for another four hours to receive wisdom from our ancestors. After all of that, then I will be taking my oath and crowned as the queen. Once all of that is done, the head monk of the temple will give me tattoo on my back using a special ink to show that I'm a queen."

I was left wide-eyed after her explanation. "The ceremony is that long? And you have to do it in one go? Wow."

Rayfa looked at me strangely. "Really? I thought it would be normal." Really? That's normal for her? "But I have to admit. I'm actually nervous right now. I'm afraid that I might mess up during my rule and the people won't like me." She then put up a small frown that I wanted to remove.

"It's okay to be nervous, Rayfa. It proves that you're human." I reminded her calmingly. "But if anything, I know that you'll be a great queen. Just like your mother."

Rayfa looked cheerful once again. "Thanks, Mithra. I'm not sure why, but when everyone who tried to comfort me or said something like this, it made me worry more, but when you do it...I immediately felt calm. Like there's nothing to worry about."

"Ummm..." I can feel my face warming up at her words. "D-do I really have that e-effect on you?" Gah, not the time to be stuttering, Ritabrata.

Rayfa doesn't seem to realise though. "Of course! And not just when it came to cheering me up. Your presence itself. It always made me confused, though certainly not in a bad way. Like a case you want to solve, you could say."

"Well, I uhm, I'm flattered you think of me that way."

I think she just realised what she said, because her eyes immediately widened, and she began stammering with a blush on her cheeks.

"N-not that I'm attracted to you or anything. I just find that you're an interesting person, that's all. Not that you're not attractive at all, it's just that it would be weird with us being just friends..." Rayfa kept rambling on and on, and I really couldn't help but laugh at her adorableness. She then realised I was laughing at her, and she immediately pouted. "You jerk! Why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry hahaha." I said while calming myself down from the laughter. "It's just...you look too cute rambling like that just now." My words seemed to soothe her anger and made her flustered again.

"W-well, just d-don't get used to it." She stammered, while turning her head away in embarrassment. She then cleared her throat. "Anyway, I think we should go. Horned Head is surely waiting for you right now."

"Of course." After that, we just had more small talks while making our way to the courtyard. Funny how time goes so fast when you least expect it.

* * *

 _23 December 2031, 9.56 pm_

 _Justice and Co. Law Office_

"So, you got another case for me, Mr. Justice?" I asked as we walked towards the office.

He simply shrugged. "Not really. I think this time I'll let you find a case on your own. You can't always rely on me to find you a job, Mithra." I sighed after listening to his words. It's not my fault people would rather request for him than me for a trial. "Anyway, let's hope that Datz doesn't mess the office up again.

"I certainly hope so." I still can't get over how he got all those warba'ads the other day.

As we entered the office, we were greeted by the sights of two man laughing loudly. One of them being Mr. Arebal, and the other one a stranger. Although from his purple uniform and the mask lying on the table, he seemed to be one of the Royal Guards.

"Hey AJ, MR! You're back!" Mr. Arebal greeted with his trademark grin. The two of us are more interested in the other man, however. "We were just having a small talk over here."

"Datz, who is this guy?" Mr. Justice asked with a raised eyebrow.

The man in the uniform simply laughed. "HAHAHA! Sorry 'bout that! Where're my manners?" He then stood up and offered a handshake with my boss. "De name's Ahlbit Ra'yar. Just call me Al, wouldcha?" His accent seems weird to me, but he seems to be a local judging from his skin complexion.

Mr. Justice looked wary at first but accepted the handshake. "I'm Apollo Justice, but I'm sure you know that already?"

"Hahaha! 'Course I heard 'bout ya Horned Man. I've seen ya around de palace with the Minister a couple times." The man then shifted his attention towards me, which made me nervous as he had a huge grin on his face. "And who's dis kid?"

"Uh, I'm Mithra sir. I'm a new lawyer under Mr. Justice's tutelage." I said cordially, not really knowing how to approach him.

Mr. Rayar let out another laugh, which I don't see anything funny about. "Ah, right, right. Yer de new kid Datz keeps tellin' me 'bout. Keep up de good work, kiddo!" He pat me at the back while giving me that grin again. His actions really unsettled me and all I did was laugh nervously.

"Anyway..." Mr. Arebal interjected between the two of us. "Al here is my buddy from the army, and now he's working as the royal guards. Cool, eh?"

Mr. Rayar simply shrugged before saying. "Eh, it ain't that much, really. Just some quick, honest cash." He then stood up and took a few papers on the table (I'm guessing guards also have paperworks?) before excusing himself off. "Anyway, I gotta go. We got a big day tomorrow with all the coronation and stuff. See ya 'round Datz."

"'Course Al."

As the man passed by me, he said a few words that left me confused.

"Kid, ya better prepare yerself, 'cause tomorrow'll be the show of your lifetime."

"...What?" I wanted to ask what he meant, but he had already left.

"What's wrong, Mithra?" My boss asked.

I simply shook my head, trying to forget what happened just now. "It's nothing, sir. Anyway, shouldn't we close up the office now?"

"Oh, right!"

* * *

 _24 December 2031, 7.25 am_

 _Courtyard, Royal Palace_

Today was the Rayfa's eighteenth birthday as well as her official coronation as the Queen of Khurain. As expected, the courtyard was brimming with people eager to watch their beloved princess finally rule the kingdom, myself included. I came here as early as I could so that I could watch Rayfa as close as possible. N-not inappropriately, of course.

"Hey, MR! Wait up, will ya?" Mr. Arebal called from behind. He accompanied me along, as I needed some form of company as Mr. Justice is currently busy with Minister Sahdmadhi. It seems that he was also involved in the preparations of the ceremony. "Geez, you sure move fast, even in this crowd."

"Sorry, Mr. Arebal but I can't help it. I was too excited, I guess." I just couldn't wait to see Rayfa getting crowned as the queen. Something about that prospect just made me feel giddy.

"What? You excited to see the princess all prettied up, eh?" He said with a teasing grin, and I couldn't help but blush at his words. He might not be that far off, honestly.

"Well, I uh..." I fumbled trying to find a word to say. Mr. Arebal then gave me a pat at the back.

"Don't worry, kid. If Dhurke can get someone like Amara, then surely you can get the lady." Oh, right. I almost forgot that Dhurke was Rayfa's father. I always forgot about that. I guess, I just can't imagine Dhurle Sahdmadhi being related to Rayfa. "Anyway, what's taking her so long?"

"Well, if I remember she said something about her having to bathe in the Pool of Souls for a couple of hours straight. I guess she's still at that stage. She should be out in-" I was interrupted by a ring from my phone.

"Your phone?" Mr. Arebal asked curiously.

"Yeah, gimme a minute." I took my phone out of my pocket and saw a message inside. "A message? From who?" When I opened it, I was made even more confused.

Mr. Arebal seemed to realise this and asked. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's just...the message was from an unknown number, and the message itself is so weird."

"What does it say?"

I then read out the message sent. "It says 'Would you kindly proceed?'. What is that supposed to mean? You know anything, Mr Arebal?" I was met with silence. I turned around and found out that Mr. Arebal was missing. "Mr. Arebal?" What's happening here?

 _Weird Message added to the Court Records._

I thought about trying to search for Mr. Arebal, but eventually decided against it. It's not like I'm responsible for him. If anything, it should be the other way round with our age gap. After thar, I was simply waiting for the ceremony to start. It took around ten minutes or so, but it finally started.

"And now, the arrival of Her Benevolence, Princess Rayfa Padma Khurain to take her oath as the next Queen of Khurain." With a cheer from the crowds, Rayfa finally exited from the palace, and by the Holy Mother was she gorgeous.

She was wearing a light pink ceremonial robe with golden embroideries to magnify her beauty. Her face looks even more radiant than usual, and with her stoic expression that she used in the public, I could almost describe her as a goddess.

She walked elegantly from the entrance towards the center, with a bald old man wearing a monk's clothing, the head monk of Tehmpul Temple waiting for her. On her way, the two of us locked eyes for a split second, and she had a ghost of a smile on her face, and I gave her the same gesture as well.

When she finally approached the head monk, she kneeled down. In response, the head monk cleared his throat to continue the ceremony.

"Rayfa Padma Khurain, Royal Priestess of Khurain." The man called out. "With the blessings from the Holy Mother, and wisdoms of our ancestors, thou hath been chosen to guide Khurain as the new queen. Doth thy hereby swear to accept this duty to rule the Kingdom of Khurain?"

"Yes, I accept my duty to rule the Kingdom of Khurain as the queen." She replied with her head bowed down.

"Doth thy swear to uphold the peace of the kingdom and lead the people to prosperity?

"I swear to uphold peace in our kingdom and lead our people to prosperity."

"Doth thy swear to rule Khurain fairly and justly?"

"I swear to rule Khurain fairly and justly."

"And finally, doth thy swear to follow the teachings of the Holy Mother until thine's death?"

"I swear to follow the teachings of the Holy Mother until my death."

The head monk seemed satisfied and went in to take the crown for the final stages of the ceremony. Rayfa seemed to be anxious as the crown was slowly placed on her head. But right as it was placed-

 ***BANG***

No one knew where it came from, but the bullet almost hit Rayfa, only missing a few centimetres. Immediately, everyone panicked.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"Was that a gunshot?"

"Her Benevolence was almost killed!"

"Is the Holy Mother angry at us?"

There were whispers everywhere, and the Royal Guards were sent into action as they escorted Rayfa and the head monk to safety, while others were scouring the palace in search of the source. Unfortunately, another shot was fired and this time, it hit a target.

 ***BANG***

Everyone gasped in horror as the body of the head monk fell to the ground, his life taken in an instant by a sniper bullet. Rayfa was looked shocked the most, seeing as someone died right next to her. After that, all hell broke loose. The crowd began stomping their way out of the palace, afraid of becoming the next victim.

I simply stayed behind, still shocked by what I saw. Did someone just kill the head monk? Eventually I snapped out of my thoughts and tried to force my way towards Rayfa, worried about her safety. Surely she's the real target of the assassin.

"Your Benevolence!" I called out, holding the urge to call her name in the public. She was still being escorted to the palace and I tried to call her again. "Your Benevolence!"

She finally heard me and called me back in response. "Mithra!"

As I went up to her, the Royal Guards held me back.

"Sorry, kid but I can't let you see Her Benevolence. Everyone here is still under suspicion." One of the guards said.

"But I'm not the assassin! I was down here the whole time!" I was struggling against the guard's grip, but they were simply too strong.

"It still doesn't matter, kid. You still can't neet her, so go or I'll arrest you-"

"Sir!" The man froze as another of the guard apporached us. "We found the assailant, sir!"

That fast? How?

"Bring him to me, now!" The man barked. His subordinates quickly obeyed and they brought the culprit who was struggling against their grip. He seemed awfully familiar for some rea- wait a minute.

"Mr. Arebal?"

What in the world is happening here?!

* * *

 _24 December 2031, 1.36pm_

 _Detention Center_

It's been six hours after the attempted assassination on Rayfa, literally seconds before she was crowned as queen, and the assassination of the head monk of Tehmpul Temple. Thankfully, everyone was safely removed from the scene, apart from some injuries during the mass panic. Meanwhile, I was held there for almost two hours to be questioned due to my relationship with the alleged assassin.

Sigh. I still can't believe that Mr. Arebal was arrested for the assassination. There's no way it could be him right? Anyway, because of that, I immediately went to the detention center to find some answers.

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one there as Mr. Justic and Minister Sahdmadhi was also there, probably for the same reason as me.

"Mr. Justice!" I called.

"Ah, Mithra. I'm guessing you heard of what happened?" His face was etched with a frown, understandable seeing as someone he knew was being arrested. For murder, no less.

"Heard about it? I was there when Mr. Arebal was arrested. And how did that happen? There's no way Mr. Arebal would do such a thing, right?" Mr. Arebal may be wild and uncontrollable, but certainly he's not a murderer. After all, he was the right-hand man of Dhurke, the man who wanted a peaceful revolution during the Ga'ran Regime.

"We don't know yet. That's what we're here to find out." Mr. Justice said, and I couldn't help but sigh.

Just then, a bailiff entered. "Sir, the questioning is finished. Would you like to meet the accused?"

"Yes please." Minister Sahdmadhi said. The bailiff gave a quick salute before leaving the room for awhile. A few moments later, he came back, this time bringing in Mr. Arebal as well. The former paratrooper may had a sheepish grin on his face, but he looks paler than before. I guess even he was shaken up by what happened.

"Guess I messed up big time, eh AJ?" He asked while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Datz, tell us what really happened. We know you. You don't just go killing someone for no good reason." Mr. Justice doesn't seem angry or upset, more like conflicted. "What were you doing at the guard tower?"

"That's the thing. I wasn't really sure."

"...What?" Now everyone looks confused.

Mr. Arebal put up a thoughtful expression. "I don't really remember what happened. Up to the point where I was with MR, everything was fine. But right after that, it all went blank.

Minister Sahdmadhi decided to join in the conversation. "So what you are trying to say is that you lost your memory from after you met with Mithra until the time of the murder, am I correct?"

"Well, not completely lost. More like clouded. I might have remembered glimpse of what happened, but it's not that clear."

"Hmmmm." The minister looked pensive before letting out a sigh. "You know that this is not going to make your defense any easier, Datz."

Mr. Justice then asked again, this time more pleading than anything. "C'mon Datz. Can you give us something? Anything?"

"Hmmmm, well maybe I do have something." All of us lit up at this information. "But I'm not really sure if this will help."

"Anything will help at this point, Mr. Arebal." I reassured the man.

"Well...sure." Mr. Arebal then scrunched his face, as if to focus on something. "I was somewhere, near the window..."

"Okay, go on."

"...I was holding something long...not really sure what it was..."

"C'mon, Datz. Try to focus more." Mr. Justice encouraged him.

"Well...aha, I know! It was a gun!"

Oh no. This is not going the way we want it to be.

"And, I'm not sure why, but I was shaking around. And that's where it ends." Datz stared at us, who looked even more frutrated, in confusion. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Datz, do you realise what you just told us is more incriminating than helping?" Minister Sahdmadhi said while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Oh!" Mr. Arebal seemed to realise this as well. "I guess I really am guilty?"

"No." Everyone turned their attention to me. "You can't be the murderer. There's no way you can the murderer Mr. Arebal, I just know it. So please, don't say that you're guilty because I know you're not." I don't know where I got all this, but Mr. Arebal's eye looked confused. Like even he doesn't know the truth of what happened. Just from his eyes, I know that he's innocent.

"MR..." Mr. Arebal stared at me speechlessly.

"Anyway, we have to focus on your defense now." Minister Sahdmadhi said, changing the subject. He then turned his attention to my boss. "Apollo, I know this is going to be hard-"

"I'm not taking up the defense."

"...What?" Did I just heard wrong?

"I'm not taking the defense for Datz." He reiterated, leaving me shocked while the minister had a blank expression.

"And for what reason?" He asked.

"Not that I don't trust in Datz or anything. It's just that I'm already caught in a few cases, and I can't delay them anymore."

"Then who's supposed to defend Mr. Arebal?" I asked frantically. He simply stared at me, and Minister Sahdmadhi followed suit. Then I realised what they were implying. "No, no, no. I can't be his lawyer, sir. I'm not experienced enough-"

"And this is where you will get the experience, Mithra." Mr. Justice reminded, before putting up a smile. "Besides, weren't you the one who said that Datz is completely innocent."

"Yeah, but-"

"Then, that's all you need to win the case." I was confused by his words. "Mithra, the strongest weapon that a lawyer have is their trust on their client. So, when it seems like you are in a pinch, all you have to do is remind yourself. Is your client truly innocent? If you do, then keep fighting on till your last breath. Because a dragon-"

"Never yields." I finished Mr. Justice's statement with our office motto. "You're right, sir. Mr. Arebal is innocent and because of that, I can't leave him just because I was too scared." I then turned my attention to Mr. Arebal and Minister Sahdmadhi. "So, I'll take up the defense, Mr. Arebal. I'll prove you innocent, and find the real culprit behind all of this mess. Justice style."

Mr. Arebal gave me a double thumbs up. "You can do it, MR!"

Minister Sahdmadhi stared blankly for a while, before shaking his head in amusement. "If I had not known any better, I would have thought you were my father, Mithra." I was surprised by his compliment, before I became flustered. "The blood of the dragon run strongly in your vein. Very well, I shall leave the defense to you."

"I won't dissapoint any of you." I thumped my chest in determination, and Mr. Justice returned it with a grin.

"I know you won't."

* * *

 _Court Records_

 _Evidence:_

 _-Attorney's Badge: Proof of me being a lawyer. My most priced possession._

 _-Weird Message: Received around 7.28 am by an unknown number. The message reads 'Would you kindly proceed?'._

 _People:_

 _Mithra Ritabrata (19): That's me. A new lawyer at Justice and Co. Law Office and Mr. Justice protege._

 _Apollo Justice (27): Owner of Justice and Co. Law Office and also my mentor. Quite the nice guy, but sometimes vague._

 _Rayfa Padma Khurain (18): Next queen of Khurain, and I'm friends with her. Lucky eh? Quite mature for her age._

 _Datz Arebal (49): Acquaintance of Justice and Co. Law Office and former right-hand man of the Defiant Dragons. Loves to cause trouble._

 _Ahlbit Ra'yar (50): Datz' friend at the army and currently a Royal Guard. Always has a creepy grin on his face._

 _Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (28): Minister of Justice and older brother of Rayfa. A very calm person._

* * *

 **Author's Note: Annnnnnd Done! Well shit, that escalated quickly. Datz is in some deep shit, I'll say. And hopefully our rookie attorney can save him. Ladies and gentleman, that is the prologue for Case 2. It's quite short in my opinion, only about 4k+ but I'll take it. Now, for the next chapters, Mithra will begin his investigations, so let's hope that he can succeed or Datz is gonna get f*cked. But that won't happen until I update my other fanfic, so just be patient.**

 **Anyway, please click the favorite and follow button, and do leave a review. I always try to reply to the reviews as best as I can. So please, just give me your opinions on this chapter. I would appreciate that. I've rambled long enough. See ya next time people.**

 **King of Blacks, signing out.**


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